The Complete Cups & Balls

Book
1998
Written by Michael Ammar
Work of Michael Ammar
172 pages (Hardcover), published by L&L Publishing
Illustrated with photographs
Language: English
84 entries
This publication has been reviewed by
Cover photograph
Creators Title Comments & References Page AA Categories
Michael Ammar Introduction
ix
Tommy Wonder Foreword
xi
Michael Ammar Fundamental Props
  • Cups
  • Balls
  • Final Loads
  • Wands
 		1
Michael Ammar Definitions
3
The Inertia Move un-nesting cups to table with ball remaining hidden
 		5
Michael Ammar Basic Stacking
6
Michael Ammar The Super Simple Routine
7
Michael Ammar Fundamental Skills No. 1 - Acting
8
Michael Ammar Methods of Holding Out palming a ball
 		9
Beginning Sleights: The Fake Transfer
10
The French Drop
10
Classic Pass false put transfer
 		11
The Simple Transfer put
 		12
Michael Ammar Misdirecting with the Wand vanish of small ball
 		12
Secretly Loading a Small Ball Into a Cup
  • From Finger Palm
  • Thumb Palm
  • Direct from palm
 		13
The Tip-Over Load
14
Loading a nested or stacked cup
15
Stealing From a Tabled Cup
  • Two Finger Steal
  • Simply Holding Inside
  • The Two Finger Steal Out and Spin Around to Show Empty
 		16
Stealing From Between Cups
  • Little Finger Retentions/Steal
  • Nesting Rolling Steal
 		17
Michael Ammar Fundamental Skills No. 2 - Timing
19
Faking the Load
  • The Scoop
  • The Scoop Clip
  • Fake Transfer to Take Load
  • The Pinch
  • The Fake Roll Out
 		20
Cool Cup Moves
23
Passing One through Another
23
Wand through Cup
24
Showing Inside Deeper Than Outside
24
Showing a Ball Inside an Empty Cup
25
Rolling a Cup flourish on table
 		25
Pulling a Ball Up through the Cup
26
Charlie Miller The Charlie Miller Move
26
John F. Mendoza The Mendoza Move alternative to Charlie Miller move
 		27
Horace Goldin Click Move ball vanishes between two cups that are banged together
Also published here
Related to
 27
The Flushtration Count
28
The Tip-Off or "Fako" Move removing top cup of stack despite contained ball
 		28
Theo "Okito" Bamberg Galloping Post Move
Also published here
 29
The Centrifugal Move ball stays inside when cup is lifted and stacked on another cup
Related to
 29
Michael Ammar Fundamental Skills No. 3 - Routining
31
Michael Ammar 2nd Level Routine
32
Michael Ammar Fundamental Skills No. 4 - Misdirection
35
Michael Ammar Third Level Routine
36
Michael Ammar Final Loading Actions
38
Michael Ammar Impromptu Cups & Balls with coffee cups
 		40
Part Two
45
Advanced Wand Moves
45
Michael Ammar Advanced Wand Vanishes intro
 		46
David Williamson Through the Fist wand pushed through fist for ball vanish
Variations
 46
Michael Ammar Through the Hand #2 wand pushed through fist for ball vanish
Inspired by
 47
Silent Mora, Dai Vernon The Mora/Vernon Wand Spin Vanish
48
David Williamson Williamson's Striking Vanish
50
The Drummer's Spin
51
Michael Ammar Opening the Routine
  • Opening Positions
    • One Ahead
    • Two Ahead
    • Three Ahead
    • Four Ahead
    • Other options
  • One Ahead Return Opening
  • One Ahead Penetration Sequence
  • Two Ahead Production Sequence
  • Ammar's Opening Production Sequence
 		52
Michael Ammar Body Sequences
  • Assembly
  • Miller - Sequence #1
  • Miller - Sequence #2
  • Classic Gathering in the Middle
  • All Gather One at a Time
  • Three Gather on Tops of Cups
  • Shower of Balls
  • Another Approach (Pop Kreiger)
  • Click Move Sequence
  • Two-None-Two Sequence
  • Reappearing Inside a Stack of Cups
 		58
Michael Ammar Mastering the Final Load
  • Directions for Misdirecting
  • Sitting
  • Standing
  • When Standing, Where are the Final Loads Going to Go?
    • Natural Pockets
    • Special Pockets
    • Pouches
    • Edge of the Coat
    • Sleves
  • The Coordinated Timing of Both Hands
  • The Loading Hand
  • Holding the Cup
 		68
Michael Ammar, Dai Vernon Ending Sequences
  • Classic Elimination Sequence
  • Vernon's Sophisticated Elimination Sequence
 		76
Michael Ammar Ending Rhythms
80
Max Malini, Frank Garcia The Malini/Garcia Rhythm final load sequence
 		81
Michael Ammar The 1-2-3-4 Method final load sequence
 		82
Bob Read The Engaged Spectator Ending final load sequence
 		82
Michael Ammar Creative Loading Systems
  • Livestock
 		83
Dai Vernon The Dai Vernon Cups and Balls Routine
Also published here
Related to
Variations
 84
Michael Ammar Summary of Dai Vernon's
  • What might Vernon have done differently?
  • Now.... here's what you need to do...
Related to
 93
Michael Ammar Michael Ammar's Stand-Up Cups and Balls
  • Set Up
  • Producing The Balls
  • Three Vanishes
  • Elimination Phase One
  • Elimination Phase Two
Also published here
 97
Michael Ammar The Bonus Chapter
107
Dominique Duvivier Dominique Duvivier, France thoughts on the cups and balls
 		109
Mike Rogers Mike Rogers, United States thoughts on the cups and balls
 		111
Kate Medvedeva Kate Medvedeva, Russia thoughts on the cups and balls
 		113
Eric DeCamps Eric DeCamps, United States thoughts on the cups and balls
 		115
Shankar Junior Shankar Junior, India thoughts on the cups and balls
 		120
Joachim Solberg Joachim Solberg, Denmark thoughts on the cups and balls
 		123
Joachim Solberg The JS-Bounce-Move ball dropped into other hand, it bounces back up secretly
 		124
Bob Sheets Bob Sheets, United States thoughts on the cups and balls
 		126
Gazzo Macee* Gazzo, Great Britain thoughts on the cups and balls
 		128
Tom Mullica Tom Mullica, United States thoughts on the cups and balls
 		135
Paul Gertner Paul Gertner, United States thoughts on the cups and balls
 		137
Johnny Ace Palmer Johnny Ace Palmer, United States thoughts on the cups and balls
 		139
Tommy Wonder Tommy Wonder, The Netherlands thoughts on the cups and balls
 		141
Michael Skinner Michael Skinner, United States thoughts on the cups and balls
 		143
Johnny Thompson Johnny Thompson, United States thoughts on the cups and balls
 		147
Bruce Cervon Bruce Cervon, United States thoughts on the cups and balls
 		151
Bruce Cervon One-Minute Cups & Balls Routine for television
 		152
David Williamson David Williamson, United States thoughts on the cups and balls
 		155
Aldo Colombini Also Colombini, United States thoughts on the cups and balls
 		158
Jonathan Pendragon Jonathan Pendragon, United States thoughts on the cups and balls
 		161
Alphonse Delaporte The Delaporte Cups and Balls Table on Alphonse Delaporte's table with loads from the bottom
 		165
Michael Ammar Partial Bibliography on the cups and balls
 		169
Data entered by Denis Behr, April 2026.