Revisited

by Shane

The Ambitious Card. The Cups and Balls. The Matrix. Magic is full of classics, including one that
has fallen out of favor to a certain extent -- the venerable "Two In The Hand" routine. The plot is
simple, the routine flexible enough to be done with just about everything, and the climax
extremely liberal. While few performers bother with this anymore, our legendary performers, such
as Blackstone, did the "Two In The Hand" routine regularly and to much effect. What follows is
my routine for this classic, which uses the primordial sleights and throws in some psychological
bits besides.

The plot of "Two In The Hand" is simplicity in itself -- three objects are shown, two are placed
cleanly in the hand, and one in the performer's pocket. One moment later and all three objects
are seen to be in the performer's hand. Along the way, things can get strange, building to a
climax of one kind or the other. .

For my version, you'll need to do some shopping. For "Revisited", you'll need to hie thee away to
an arts and crafts store, searching for small rocks about the size of a quarter of a US penny.
You'll need four of them in one color, let's say white. You'll also need a thumbtip, and a small box
or something to carry them in.

For practice, paper balls can be used. The moves are the same regardless.

Put the stones and their container in a handy pocket. Put the thumbtip in your pocket as well.
You're all set.

1) Bring out the stones in their container, dumping all of them in your left hand. Show them briefly,
shaking them around a bit, and then pour them into the right hand. The stones should be kept
moving, although not at any hectic pace, but just enough so that the spectator has no idea of the
number of stones you're holding. Let the stones end up in laying on your fingers, toward the palm
of the hand.

2) Pour three of the stones from your hand onto the table, retaining one of them in your right
hand. This is not a big move, and is easily enough done by clipping one of the stones between
your fingers.

3) With your right hand, arrange the stones into a row on the table, keeping your right hand loose
and relaxed as you do so. This helps sell your "empty" hand.

4) Pick up one of the stones at your right fingertips and drop it plainly into your left hand. Let the
audience see it there. Again, this is silently selling the deception-in-action that everything is fair
and above-board. Oh, if they only knew.

5) Pick up a second stone, again at your right fingertips, and drop it into the left hand. As you do,
release the hidden stone you're gripping between the right fingers. This is done at the same time
and, again, is not a move -- it's just a simple, casual action. As soon as the two stones are in your
left hand, slightly cup the left hand. Do not close it; that's too much of an action yet. Think in
terms of "holding them so I don't drop them" instead of "Ohmigod, somebody's gonna see the
extra rock!"
6) Pick up the third stone with your right hand, show it, and move to put it in your pocket. As you
do, close the left hand into a fist. Instead of putting the stone into your pocket, steal it back into
your right hand, again clipping it between your fingers. Bring the hand back into view, gesture
with it, performing the Olram Subtlety as you do. Open your left hand, and pour the stones out
onto the table. Make a row of the stones as you did before.

7) Pick up one stone with the right fingers, just as you did before, and drop it into the left hand. As
you do, drop the hidden stone as well. They may be some talking, but it will be so quiet that even
the conversational tone of your voice will cover it just fine. Quickly pick up another stone, cupping
your left hand as you did the first time around at the same time, and drop it into the left hand.
Thanks to the misdirection and the out-right casualness of the actions, everything apparently is
being done exactly as it was before... except now your right hand is free a step before the first
instance.

8) Take the third stone with your right fingers, move to your pocket, dropping the stone there and
putting on the thumbtip loosely. Bring your right hand back into view, gesture, and open the left
hand, pouring the three stones onto the table. Relax, with a general air that the trick is done and
over with, and bring your hands together, moving the thumbtip from the right thumb to the left
hand. The tip should be held with the opening toward the tips of the left fingers, so that by
bending the first joint of the fingers the tip is held in place.

9) Pick up the stones, one at a time, at the right fingertips and apparently put them into the left
hand. In reality, put them into the thumbtip. When the last stone is in the tip, push the right thumb
into the tip very loosely, withdrawing it with the right hand. Gesture with the right hand, showing it
quite obviously empty, then make the right hand into a fist. As you do, steal the tip off, holding it in
the right hand, opening toward the thumb. Pause for a bit, do some squeezing actions with the
left hand, and open the left hand to show the stones gone.

10) This next piece is going to be hard to describe, although the action is really very easy. The
situation is that the stones are in the thumbtip, which is held in the right hand with the opening
toward the right thumb. Move the right hand forward, then allow the stones to fall from the tip.
After they are out of the tip, use the right thumb to lever the tip against the fourth finger.
Depending on the size of your hand, the very end of the tip may actually be pivoting against the
third finger. The final position is the that tip is now held parallel to the table, the tip secure by the
right thumb which is pressing the end of the tip against the base of the right fingers. This allows
the right fingers to be spread widely and no tip seen at all.

11) Once again, relax, bringing the hands back together. Take the thumbtip into the left hand in
the same position as before. Pick up the stones, again one at a time, and put them into the tip
while assumedly putting them into the left hand. With the last stone, perform the steal as before,
putting the tip onto the right thumb. Gesture, chant, mumble, or babble, clap your hands together
softly, and show the stones to be gone.

12) Pick up your container with the right hand, put it away, and ditch the thumbtip in the process.
You're as clean as a spring daisy after the morning dew.