Here’s a simple chop cup routine that you can learn, and do with any standard chop cup.
What I like about this routine, over many chop cup routines, is that I only go to the pocket once, and it’s not immediately before the production of the eight ball.
-Louie
When I made a small batch of dice chop cups last week, people asked me for a video. Honestly, I thought everyone knew what a chop cup does, but I was wrong. If you don’t know what a chop cup is, it’s a gimmicked cup that will hold out a ball, or in this case dice.
Typically, this is one with one visible ball; however, in routines like my CeeLo routine, it uses three visible dice. How the normal routine goes is that a ball keeps disappearing and reappearing under a cup, then at the end, there’s a giant ball or whatever under the cup.
Here’s a quick video of a chop cup routine that I made for the people who asked:
I was just improving and did this sequence. It’s actually a pretty good sequence; it has a lot of effects.
1: Teleportation: Die goes from pocket to under the cup
2: Penetration: Die goes through the top of the cup
3: Vanish: Die disappears from my hand
4: Production: Eight ball appears
That’s a lot of magic in less than 20 seconds!
-Louie
Occasionally I’ll make a batch of dice cup chop cups. These are chop cups made from dice cups and use a die instead of a ball.
I prefer using a die over a ball for a couple of reasons. First, it makes sense when the cup is a dice cup; all of the props belong together. Next, dice are white, so they are easy to see. Finally, with dice being flat, they don’t roll as much, so you won’t have them roll off the table as easily.
When you use a prop, like a traditional magic chop chop that visually looks like nothing that exists in world, I try to find things that look real to build the trick into. It’s not always possible, but it’s something I try to do. I should mention that there is value in an unusual prop as a presentation hook. For example, my O-Korto Coin Box Routine uses small brass Okito Box style coin boxes. I introduce it as my “Grandma’s Coin Box”, then there are a few jokes that go along with it. There are ways and reasons to use unusual props.
-Louie
When doing a card trick, the ending is the most important thing. Here’s three options that I’m playing with:
Each has something going for it.
Option 1: quick and direct
Option 2: BIG
Option 3: a gag, then a bonus trick
I posted this video on my social media and everyone liked number three the best. One thing I didn’t mention was the conditions; this was a stage piece for large groups.
After trying all three of them, the one that played the best for me was number 2!
The size of the reveal, I think, made a huge difference. Also, when the folded card comes out, you have a little bit of build as it’s being unfolded.
I think the problem with option #3, which is the 52 on 1 card that turns into the selection, is that the gag is too small to be seen from the stage, and everyone has to take my word for what’s on the card. Also, you have a gag and a magic trick that are pretty close together. The changing of the card, I think, doesn’t hit as it should. I think to the audience it feels like the card just has the 52 on 1 on one side and the selection on the other, and I just turn the card over. Yes, I do show the back of the card twice; however, I don’t think the audience processes that or remembers that.
I’m glad I tried all three and was surprised at the result.
-Louie
One of the endings that I’m doing with my three shell game routine is using a small cap that goes under the shell to replace the standard shot glass. I got the idea when I was on a flight and realized the tiny liquor bottle cap would fit under a shell. (you can read the post about it here)
Here’s a demo of what it looks like:
You could put a shot glass on top of the cap and shell for a triple cover! I really didn’t want to use the shot glass, as it’s bulky, heavy, and semi-fragile. This is a good solution for me!
-Louie
The Juggling Monte routine that I’m working on has taken another step closer to reality. One of the challenges that I identified early on was how to make a two dollar bill visibly different from a one dollar bill onstage. The solution was to write “lucky” on the back of it. Originally I thought writing it in pink, sparkly ink would be good, however I just made one with white ink with a black border and I think it looks great!
There’s not much to making this prop. I took a white paint pen and wrote lucky on the bill. Once it dried, I used a black Sharpie to do the outline. Finally, I took some matte clear spray paint and gave it a light coat to seal it. Hopefully the sealant will protect it from dinging or chipping.
I still need to write some jokes and figure out the routine, but it’s off to a good start. We’ll see how it actually plays for an audience.
-Louie
The ending to a card trick is one of the most important things. Does the ending have punctuation, or is it just “meh”? A card trick routine that I’m working on ends with a prediction of the selected card. I’m not going to get into the routine in this post, but just the ending. Here are the three options:
Option 1: direct and clean
Option 2: has a little bit of suspense
Option 3: has a gag, then a trick
I think each has merit, but ultimately I’ll have to go out there and try all three to see which plays best.
-Louie
Not too long ago, a magician I was hanging out with said he didn’t think that younger people understood or knew what the shell game is. I disagree; I think young people know what the three shell game is, and my reasoning is that every ballpark in the USA plays a version of it on the jumbotron. Here’s the shell game at a Cincinnati Reds game:
It’s a simple concept of a game, and younger people definitely know what it is, or it wouldn’t be played in stadiums! This is one of the things that I like about it, it IS RELATABLE because people have played it before!
-Louie
In the summer, I frequently work with Jeremey the Juggler, who is a juggler, but also an origami master (I’m not sure if that’s an official title). One day he mentioned that he made an origami box that just happened to kinda do a magic trick.
Here’s his video:
I’ve helped him in the past with a tutorial, you can see it here!
When he mentioned this to me, I took a piece of paper from a magazine and made one and came up with a little routine with things in my hotel room:
There’s really not much to do the trick. A false transfer and use your arm to cover you loading the object on top of the box. Then use the box to do the second vanish.
It’s a quick, fun little sequence that appeals to magicians and origami people.
-Louie
Sometimes there are stages that are more challenging to work than other stages. This stage and audience configuration is a good example of that.
First, let’s tackle the obvious: there’s a walkway between the benches and the bleachers. Unfortunately, that’s just how it is, and there’s not really anything you can do about that.
The bigger issue is getting on and off stage; it’s a high stage, so a lot of stairs, and the stairs are off to the side. It’s good that they are on the side; if they were on the front of the stage, the handrails would be a visual distraction. It just takes a lot of time for me or someone from the audience to get on and off stage.
I have a spot in the show, right after my introduction, where I need to hand something to someone in the audience. That’s dead time while I walk on and off stage.
Here’s what I did:
Opening bit, then walk into the audience to give the thing to someone in the audience.
2nd trick happens on the floor in front of the stage.
After the second trick, I bring someone from the audience to the stage with me for the third trick.
For the fourth trick, it happens on the floor in front of the stage. This trick needs access to people so they can hold things at different points.
When the fourth trick is done, I bring someone from the audience back to the stage with me and send them back to their seat when the fifth trick is done.
The final trick happens with me solo onstage.
There are a lot of ways to deal with the “long walk to the stage“, however for this situation, moving my show between the floor and stage worked great; it reduced the dead time a lot. This makes the show feel tighter!
-Louie
