THE HISTORY LESSON

The “Cups and Balls” as Presented by

Ricky Jay
From his HBO Special

“Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants”

 INTRODUCTION
The following is a verbatim transcript of Ricky Jay’s cups-and-balls routine, “The History
Lesson,” as performed on his HBO special “Ricky Jay and his 52 Assistants.”

The patter is in normal font with descriptions of the moves in italic.

At various points illustrations show the state of the effect—the attitude of the cups and the
locations of the balls. The following illustrations are used.

A normal cup mouth down

A normal cup on its side with

mouth toward the audience.

A normal (ungaffed) ball

The magnetic (gaffed) ball

 The magnetic (“chop cup”) cup
is indicated by the extra line at
the bottom of its well

Indicates that a ball is hidden

(palmed) in the right hand

Indicates a “load” hidden

(palmed) in the left hand

When the terms “right” and “left” are used they are from the performer’s viewpoint.
 The History Lesson

A presentation of the “cups and balls” by Ricky Jay

From his HBO special “Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants”

You know, until Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser called playing cards the “poetry of magic” a

conjuror’s skill was determined entirely by his ability to perform one effect, that was

called the “cups and balls.” There are many people that will tell you it’s the oldest effect

in the history of magic; that on the tombs of the king Beni Hassan of ancient Egypt there

are representations of Nile magicians doing the cups and balls. I am not one of those

people.

I will tell you that the game was known to the Greeks and Romans, that Seneca wrote

about it, that the earliest iconography in our venerable art, the famous “Planetary

Drawings” of Olm in the fifteenth century do show cups-and-balls conjurors. The game

has been played continuously for hundreds if not thousands of years.

With your kind permission I’d like to end my performance this evening by showing

you my version of this classic which I call “The History Lesson.”

(The table is set up as follows [from the performer’s viewpoint]: there is a candlestick at

the left end of the table with a ball perched on top of it. There is a mouth-up stack of

three cups next to the candlestick. The cups are loaded as follows: the bottom cup of the

stack is magnetic and has a magnetic ball hidden in it, and the middle cup has two balls

hidden in it [see Figure 1]. There is a wand in the center of the table laid toward the

back and oriented from right to left. Further to the right is a mouth-up stack of three

cups with three balls hidden in the bottom cup. And to the right of that stack of cups are
two Chinese rice bowls and they are rim to rim with the top bowl upside down over the

bottom bowl. There are two balls hidden in the bottom bowl.)

Figure 1

In 1584 Reginald Scott wrote the first practical treatise on conjuring in the English

language. In it he spoke about putting a ball under a common object like a candlestick.

He also said one might use a salt cellar, a bowl or even a cup and if the conjuror was

clever, he could make the ball vanish and appear almost at will.

(The candlestick is picked up with the right hand and the ball poured from it to the table.

The candlestick is handled to show that it is empty. The candlestick is placed on the table

in front of the ball and the left hand rolls up the right sleeve a bit [while the empty right

palm is flashed to the audience] followed by the right hand rolling up the left sleeve a bit

where the right hand steals a hidden ball. The left hand picks up the candlestick while

the right hand picks up the tabled ball. The right hand moves in behind the candlestick

where the left thumb steals the ball and holds it against the bottom of the candlestick
which is placed on the table while the right hand holds the [remaining] ball in clear

view.)

Only a short time later the game was played with bowls of china—played in the

orient. Anthropologists love the concept of independent invention.

(The two bowls are picked up with the right hand below the bottom bowl. The left hand

slides the top bowl forward and down into the right hand while the left hand [in the

apparent act of simply grasping the bottom bowl] grabs and hides the two balls beneath

its fingers. The right hand turns the interior of the bowl toward the audience [palm

toward the audience] while the left hand [back toward the audience] also displays its

apparently empty bowl to the audience. The left-hand bowl is placed on the table mouth

down and the right hand bowl face-down but slightly askew on top of it with two balls

hidden beneath the bottom bowl.)

In Western Europe it was played with cups of cheap metal like tin, which on occasion

had the strange ability to seem penetrable.

(The stack of cups is picked up with the left hand thumb at back. The right hand removes

the bottom cup [with the three hidden balls] and places it mouth down on the table while

the left hand tilts the mouth of the upper remaining cup toward the audience. The right

hand takes the middle [now bottom] cup and penetrating cups gag is performed. The two

cups are placed mouth down over the tabled cup leaving a stack of three inverted cups.)

This evening I’m going to use cups of spun copper—personal favorites for a reason I will

not reveal.
(The left hand picks up the wand and places it to the right of the candlestick and pointing

at the audience. The left hand picks up the stack of cups [thumb at back] and tilts the

stack toward the audience displaying the empty interior of the top cup. As this is done

the right hand removes the bottom [magnetic] cup and places it to the left. In doing this

it is held mouth down for a slight moment showing that it is “empty.” “The right hand

then removes the middle [now bottom] cup of the stack while the left hand again tilts the

stack toward the audience displaying the empty interior of the top cup. The right hand

places the middle cup mouth down in the center [keeping the two hidden balls from

showing] and the left hand transfers the remaining cup, again displaying the empty

interior, to the right hand which places it mouth down to the right. The left hand then

takes the ball from the top of the candlestick and places it on top of the middle cup).

[Figure 2]

Figure 2

One of the things I love about this game is it independently exists in the genre of the

gambler as well as the magician. This is a scene you may remember as the old “Three

Shell game.” On the English racecourse it was called “thimble rigging.” In the language

of the hustler it might be known as “the hinks,” “the dinks,” “the blocks,” or “the nuts.”
The idea that you’d either put a ball or pretend to put a ball under one of the cups but the

ball would appear where it was least likely.

(pretend to put the ball under the middle cup but retain it in finger palm in the right

hand. With the right hand pick up the right cup and move it to the left most position

while loading the ball. Meanwhile the left hand lifts the left most cup [magnetic] and

move it to the right position disengaging the ball upon placement. Then the right cup is

lifted showing the ball.)

Figure 3

Once again, if I place the ball over here and I move this, moving these cups you might

think the ball was here but it jumps over here.

(Hold the right cup mouth upwards, drop in the [magnetic] ball and turn mouth down

without disengaging. Switch places with the middle and left cups then move the right cup

to the left. Lift the left cup to show it “empty” [the magnetic ball is engaged] then lift the

right cup to show the ball.) [Figure 4]

 Figure 4

One last time—this is why people have been known to lose houses and even clothing

playing this little game==one last time, if I place the ball here and move that to here, the

ball now jumps as well.

(place the ball under the center cup, move the left cup between center and right cup, and

move the right cup to left. ,When placing the magnetic cup do it forcefully enough to

disengage the ball. Lift the right [magnetic] cup to show the [magnetic] ball.) [Figure 5]

Figure 5

Now a conjuror would do this in a slightly different fashion.

(Pick up the wand and place it behind the cups oriented right to left. Place the

[magnetic] ball on top of the center cup.) [Figure 6]

 Figure 6

The conjuror would take the object, put it in his hand, make it vanish using the magic

wand.

(Pick up the ball with the right hand, feint placing it into the left hand but retaining it in

the right hand, the right hand then immediately picks up the wand which strikes the left

hand. The left hand immediately opens to showing the ball has vanished.)

Conjurers also cheat, they use many of them.

(With the tip of the wand turn back the left cup so the mouth faces the audience, then do

the same with the right cup and finally to the center cup revealing the tree balls just as

saying, “many of them.”)

Actually the game was traditionally played with three cups and three balls.

(Move the wand from the right hand to the left hand. The right hand then places on of the

tabled balls in front of the left cup. The right hand then picks up another tabled ball and

evidently places it in front of the right cup, but actually places the magnetic ball [palmed

during the previous vanish]. The right hand retains the [nonmagnetic] ball in finger

palm and the wand is returned to the right hand.) [Figure 7]

 Figure 7

(The wand pushes the ball in front of the center cup part way toward the cup as if

beginning to sweep it into the cup with the wand. The wand is then put under the left arm

and the right hand completes the actions of putting the ball under the cup adding the

palmed ball in the process. The right [magnetic] ball is then placed on top of the center

cup and the right [magnetic] cup is placed on top of the center cup [where it engages the

ball]. The wand is taken with the right hand and rubbed down the stack from the top to

the bottom and then placed aside to the right. The magnetic cup is then lifted with the left

hand and the bottom cup is lifted and tilted with the right hand to reveal two balls

underneath.) [Figure 8]

Figure 8
Now that you know the sequence, why don’t you follow it again. This time a ball

penetrating through two solid copper cups. This method a personal favorite of Matthew

Buchinger, the little man of Nuremburg. He was only 28 inches tall, the cups obscured

almost his entire body. Look, that’s enough for three balls to appear below.

(The right hand replaces the bottom cup and the left hand replaces the [magnetic] cup on

top of it. The left hand then places a ball o top of the stack of two cups. [Figure 9]

Figure 9

The left hand picks up the third [unstacked] cup, transfers it to the right hand which

appears about to place it on the stack. The right hand transfers the cup back to the left

hand which tables it. The right hand removes the ball from the stack and tables it, the

right hand removes the [magnetic] cup from the stack and the left hand lifts the

remaining cup to show the two balls under it. The right hand replaces the [magnetic]

cup over the two balls disengaging the [magnetic] ball. The left hand transfers its coup

to the right hand mouth upwards, which replaces it on the stack. The right hand then

places the tabled ball onto the stack of two cups. The left hand picks up the remaining
cup, transfers it, mouth upwards, to the right hand which places it on the stack.) [Figure

10]

Figure 10

The wand is picked up in the right hand and rubbed from top to bottom of the stack and

placed aside to the right oriented toward the audience. The entire stack is tipped

backwards with the left hand [thumb in back] to reveal the three balls. The right hand

separates the three balls. The stack is transferred to the right hand then to the left hand

with thumb up and the three cups are placed behind the balls beginning with the “top”

cup of the stack [with the hidden ball in it] before each placement the open “bottom” cup

is tipped toward the audience displaying its empty interior. The right and middle cups

are placed with the right hand and the left cup is placed with the left hand)[Figure 11]
 Figure 11

Matthew Buchinger had no arms or legs but he did have fourteen children.

The most famous man to ever play the game, the Italian Bartolomeo Bosco.

(The right and center balls are placed on on top of their respective cups, one with each

hand. and then the right ball is placed on top of the right cup)

Bosco appeared at the beginning of the 19th century, cut an unusual figure on stage; he

wore a black satin waistcoat, black velvet trousers; he made sure his sleeves were

carefully rolled up

(demonstrates rolling up the sleeves)

He took out his magic wand and polished the tip.

(Pick up the wand in the right hand while the left hand goes to the left trouser pocket and

brings out a handkerchief which polishes the tip of the wand. The left hand replaces the

handkerchief in the left trouser pocket) [Figure 12]

Figure 12

A wand which, he said, was made of a strange amalgam of metals known only to himself

and Erasmus of Rotterdam.

(The wand is given a drummer’s spin in the left hand to accentuate “Rotterdam”)
Above his table was a brass bell, he hit the bell and said the words “spiriti mei infernali

obedite” Infernal spirits obey my command.

(mimic the act of hitting the bell over the table with the wand and place the wand behind

the cups oriented right to left.)

Bosco’s sequence with the cups:

(rub hands together, right hand tips ball on top of right cup into left hand. Left hand

tosses ball back to right hand. Right hand feints placing ball into left hand but retains it

in finger palm in right hand and immediately picks up the wand. The wand strikes the left

hand which opens to reveal that the ball has vanished.)

“vade”

(The right hand tables the wand and tilts the center cup tipping its ball into the left hand

while loading the palmed ball under the cup. The center ball is then vanished in the same

manner as the previous ball.)

“jubio”

(repeat the same tipping-loading-vanishing sequence with the left cup and it’s ball)

“celeriter. Three gone and three returned.

(The wand, still in the right hand with a palmed ball, tips back the three cups to show the

“returned” balls beginning at the left.) [figure 13]

 Figure 13

Bosco had only one contemporary rival, the slightly older Frenchman named Conus,

who in 1795 announced that he would produce his wife who was five foot seven appear

from under one of the cups.

(The left hand leans the front lip of each cup on its ball beginning with the left one)

Practice though I have . . . I have been unable even . . . to get married.

(The wand pushes the left and center cups forward until they cover their balls)

He wouldn’t even touch these with his hand.

(The wand pushes the right cop forward covering its ball)

Figure 14

Actually he said the only reason the magician used three was to confuse you. So he took

one ball and placed that aside in his pocket.

(The wand is placed to the right of the candlestick oriented with end toward the audience.

The right cup is picked up with the left hand and placed into the right hand where the

palmed ball is loaded. The left hand picks up the ball and the right hand replaces the

[loaded] right cup and the ball is tossed to the right hand then feinted back to the left

hand which goes to the pocket leaving the ball palmed in the right hand.)

Figure 15

He took the second ball and also placed that away.

(The previous sequence is repeated with the left cup. This time, however, the left hand

remains in the pocket where it secures the first final load.)

Figure 16

It still left one ball over here.

(pick up the center cup with the right hand loading the cup with the palmed ball, and

return the cup over the center ball. The center cup now has two balls under it.)

Figure 17

but it didn’t explain how this ball came back.

(The right hand having just placed the center cup, picks up the left cup, kicking its ball

forward, and transfers it to the left hand where the load is loaded into it. The left hand

transfers the [loaded] left cup to the right hand which replaces it)

Figure 18

Conus explained; he said, “The magician did a feint, he only pretended to take the ball.

(The left hand takes the ball and places it on the curled right hand in position for a ‘trap

vanish.’ The performer executes an obvious trap vanish with the ball clearly dropping it

down into the right hand fingers.)

“Actually what he did was to pretend, . . . “

(Re-demonstrate the trap vanish clearly showing the ball going into the right hand, and

quickly re-demonstrate the trap vanish but this time the ball is actually, and secretly

taken in the left hand, while right-hand fingers move to simulate receiving the ball)

“. . . put his hand back and then insinuate the ball under the cup.”

(Place the left hand back to the pocket where it drops off the ball and secures another

load. Meanwhile the right hand lifts the right cup and kicks the ball forward, wiggling the

right fingers as if dropping the ball under the cup. Transfer the cup to the left hand which

loads it. Toss the cup to the right hand and then back to the left. The right hand picks up

the ball as the left hand replaces the loaded right cup.)

Conus said, “I do no such thing; when I place the ball in my pocket it really stays there.

(The right hand places the ball in the right pocket)

Figure 19

How could it come back; and indeed where? Perhaps back to the 16th century?

(Left hand picks up the wand and transfers it to the right hanging down from a grip at the

end by the right finger tips. The left hand picks up the candlestick showing the ball under

it and the right hand hits the wand against the base of the candlestick “ringing” it. The

left hand replaces the candlestick onto the table and the right hand tables the wand. The

left hand picks up the ball and tosses it to the right hand which pockets it.)
 Many of you may prefer the game the way it was played in the orient with two bowls

(Lift the two bowls beginning with the end facing the audience and kick out the two balls

in the process.)

. . . and two balls.

(replace the bowls and pick up the two balls with the right hand and pocket them.)

Or you might prefer the European version with three cups and three balls.

(Tip back the stack of tin cups and kick out the balls. Replace the cups and with two

hands gather the three balls, one in the right hand and two in the left. Throw the two

balls in the left hand to the right hand and then throw two balls back to the left hand

holding out a ball in the right hand concealed in finger palm. The left hand goes to the

pocket to drop off the balls and secures the final load.)

And if you have been paying attention, you know there would be one ball under the

center cup but now there are three.

(The right hand picks up the center cup kicking the two balls which are under it forward

and secretly dropping the palmed ball to join them. The cup is transferred to the left hand

which loads it, and tosses it back to the right hand which replaces it.) [Figure 20]

Figure 20
And that’s the way the game was played for another hundred and twenty years until it

was revolutionized once again by Max Malini,

(The three balls are separated and placed on in front of each cup then the balls are

placed on top of the cups, one to a cup; the end ones first simultaneously then the center

one.) [Figure 21]

Figure 21

the man I spoke of earlier.

Malini would take three glasses and wrap them in newspaper. He would take a cork

from a wine bottle and cut it into three sections. He would take the three sections of cork

and place them in his pocket.

(The left hand places the three balls into the right hand in quick succession and the right

hand then pockets them.)

Then fashioning an impromptu wand out of a celery stalk or an asparagus spear, he would

tap the glasses and say “spiriti mei infernali obedite” or anything else that came to mind.

(The left hand picks up the wand and transfers it to the right hand, which taps the three

cups in succession. The wand is flipped in the right hand and then placed on the table to

the right of the cups.)

And that’s the mystery of the cups and balls.

(Right and left hands lift the end cups kicking their loads forward, then the center cup is

lifted kicking its load forward.)