At one time or another, just about every person who claims the title of Magician performs the Cups and Balls routine. It's kind of a rite of passage and it's one of the purest tricks because it's (usually) all about artful skill and misdirection, not about how a gimmicked prop was built. I did this trick with paper cups when I was twelve and I doubt I did it well because…well, I just wasn't that good a magician, especially at that age. Still, everyone I did it for was the kind of person who would have pretended they were fooled if they weren't so I couldn't be sure how good or bad I was.
Today, if you asked a roomful of magicians who does it best these days, someone would probably mention Paul Gertner. I was fortunate to see Paul perform at the Magic Castle a few years ago and to spend some time with him between shows. He's a great talent and here's how he does this, his favorite trick…