How to Do the Cups and Balls Trick

submitted by Sang on 09.14.2006 in Videos/Funny Videos, Videos/How To, Videos/Magic

The cups and balls trick is an old magic effect that has spawned a variety of adaptations.

The most widely performed version of this effect uses three wide-mouthed cups and three small balls. The magician makes the balls pass through the solid bottoms of the cups, jump from cup to cup, disappear from the cup and appear in other places, or vanish from various places and reappear under the cups (sometimes under the same cup). The trick frequently ends with larger objects, like fruit, larger balls or sometimes even livestock appearing in the cups in place of the balls.

In this video, the magic duo Penn and Teller performs this act with clear plastic cups, claiming that they will reveal the secret. But with four hands in motion it becomes impossible to follow, and it ends with a mystery as a large object (a potato, a lime etc.) turns up inside each cup.

You need to upgrade your Flash Player

Download the latest version of Flash Player