Cups and Balls

A very unusual cup game - so clever that it confuses even experts!

The delivery includes 3 black and 1 white plastic cups with a height of approx. 10 cm, as well as 2 crocheted balls with a diameter of approx. 4 cm and, of course, German-language instructions.

Two of the black cups are simply prepared, the others are unprepared. Unlike the traditional cup game, this one is played with the openings facing upwards. The spectators should therefore sit so that they cannot see the bottom of the cups. However, if you place a 10 cm tall glass on the kitchen table, you will notice that this is no longer possible at a distance of about 1 meter, unless you have a bent pupil.

The instructions describe a basic routine that can be modified in many ways according to your own ideas and preferences. The whole thing works in such a way that even experienced players (if they don't know this trick!) can be quite confused.

At the beginning, the four cups are placed together on the table. The player picks them up and lets the ball roll from the top cup into their hand. The spectators see that this cup is now empty. The ball is placed on the table.

Then, you take the bottom cup (the white one) and place it on the table with the opening facing down. Then, you pick up the ball from the table and throw it into the topmost of the three cups that are still nested together. The cups are pulled apart and placed side by side on the table.

Now the cups are slowly moved around, and finally, the spectators are asked to guess which cup the ball is in. Of course, they guess correctly the first time (that's a must in a game like this!).

The three black cups are then quickly placed inside each other, and the ball is thrown into the top cup. The cups are pulled apart and placed next to each other on the table. Then, just once, the cups are moved one beneath the other, very slowly, and the spectator is asked again where the ball is.

Well, he'll answer wrong, and you'll tip the ball out of someone else's - and so on, and so on...

At the end, the spectator is offered 50 euros if they guess correctly. They will, of course, choose one of the three black cups. But they are all empty. Where is the ball now? Under the white cup, which has been upside down on the table the whole time.

Now stack the cups one inside the other and let all spectators take a quick look inside each cup...

Reviewed in magical world , issue 4/2012!