I haven't met anyone who doesn't love this trick! - The "Rube Goldberg" method just brings a smile to your face (not to mention - its very baffling to spectators).

To those that use it - do you play it dramatic & straight - or for comedy? (I HOPE no one here purposely EXPOSES it to the audience just to get a laugh - as some performers have been known to do (as in the case with "Zombie").

I play it dramatic & spooky.

I have the foulard draped over a low-height table, with the tray on top. I lean down & pick up the tray, while asking a spec to remove the "table cloth" and to cover the tray & glass. I do the "dirty work" while this is being done, then I immediately set the tray down on the table and back away from it....proceed with the routine.

Having the tray resting on top of the foulard - gives me the "excuse" to pick up the tray - for the spec to remove the foulard & cover the tray. Also, picking up the tray from a LOW table - prevents anyone from accidently seeing beneath the tray.

Anyone wish to share their thoughts-routines for this great prop?

It makes a great bar scene prop since you use a tray, shot glass, beer glass, and an apron to cover it all up as shown on the demo below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmnkY3v8_Uw

I play it as a magical golf game. I replaced the balls with plastic golf balls with the numbers one thrugh six on them. I give the spectator a bag with the balls inside and have them take them out one at a time. The idea is to have them toss the balls into the shot glass for a hole in one. They try and sometimes come close. When they get to the last ball, I take it, put it on the tray, cover the shot glass and cover with a bright green cover. I reach under the cover and throw them the now invisable ball. I then tell them if we are going to do it magically I just made it harder. The are to toss the ball in the air toward the cup and if they listen real close they will hear the ball go into the shot glass for a hole in one. This they do, they hear the ball fall into the glass. I take off the cover, show that the last ball I gave them is now in the cup for a HOLE IN ONE. Living in Myrtle Beach makes this a perfect trick.

My thought on presenting the Hole in One is that it would add additional layer of mystery if the spectator did not announce the color of the ball. They could mentally choose it and write it down. Then with a p**k wallet or other method, divine the color. That adds a mentalism aspect to layer onto the physical magic.

I play it slightly dramatic. Premise: After examination of the cloth, all the balls ,and cups, an audience member holds the board and with some straining - does magic!

I have seen only one person ever perform this and unfortunately, he exposed it afterwards to the audience.

Bob

This prop and the seance cloth get exposed an unusually high percentage of the time, it is unfortunate imo.

I quite agree with not having the spectator verbally announce the color - until the "secret deed" is done.

Unfortunately this trick is exposed too often...recently by a Magic Castle member - in his live shows...who should be ashamed of himself.

Looks very similar to Tenyo's Crystal Pyramid ... if it works in a similar way, perhaps that's why people don't mind exposing it?

Abbott had another effect that worked just about like this except it used coins. I think it was made before the Coppenetro effect. The Hole in One and the coin version are both great.

I've just purchased this and am interested in any presentational ideas people have come up with for stage or parlor contexts. I use a small table and plan to have the foulard underneath the tray requiring me to lift up the tray in order to hand the foulard to an audience member in order to cover the tray, glass and balls. There is a wonderful on line video of the effect that uses a moody, film noir detective style voice over. I wonder if any of you have any other ideas.

John

Keep the tray on a low table or stool, and when you pick up the tray--don't hold the tray up any higher than you have to.....spectators sitting MIGHT see BENEATH the uncovered tray and notice things they aren't meant to see.

Thanks Moxhalla,

That is good advice.

Have you found any effective emotional hooks or story lines? Do you know any books that deal with the effect? I have connections with Scotland and believe I might develop something around pubs and billiards. The props have the right look for that. I haven't decided how to develop it yet or thought how to develop a rationale for the ball to move to the glass.

John

Merls "golf ball" routine (above) is indeed clever & creative.

John - Yes, a bar or "pub" storyline would fit right in. I'm not aware of any books that deal with this prop, as far as routines.

I just do a mentalism/psychokenesis routine.....I am able to secretly obtain the chosen color that an audience member will choose BEFORE the person knows themselves which color they selected. With that secret knowledge - I am able to "set-up" the balls and do ALL of the dirty work before the audience member sees and announces which color they selected. At that time--the covered tray is ALREADY resting on the lap of another spectator, who holds the tray on his knees.

For the "Reveal"---I slowly remove the cloth off of the tray that has been resting on the spectator's lap.

In short - by secretly obtaining the chosen color prior to "setting up" the balls---you will really throw-off the spectators...if you're playing up the mentalism angle.

Those idiots that EXPOSE this trick...do it just because they are too lazy to come up with a GOOD routine for this prop.

Thanks Moxahalla,

Your comments are very helpful and encouraging. I can't believe that anyone would expose this effect. It is such a marvelous transposition under test conditions. Here are my presentational ideas to date. I'm thinking of routining it with a three repeat build. The setting would be my observations of the challenges and interplay in the pub area of a St. Andrews hotel. One of the clientele claims he can make good on a hole in one at will. I demonstrate what was done by arranging six golf balls and have it find its way into the uncovered shot glass (under cover of a foulard). The other astonished patrons think the trickery must involve the fact that the golf balls are all so similar - although they don't know how, surely the similarity of the balls must have contributed to a duplicate making its way into the glass. They dared him to replicate the feat with a billiard ball and have the color named. When this is successful they dare the feat be accomplished with the shot glass isolated under an inverted glass - thus raising the feat to an even higher standard of impossibility. The reveal of the selected "billiard ball" under the glass brings the account of the amazing events of the evening overseen in the pub to a conclusion. Any thoughts, improvements, corrections?

John:

I like your story and the increasing "build-up" along the way.

I can't think of anything to add, except MAYBE instead of using a standard foulard to cover the tray.....use a cloth that goes along with the "theme" - maybe a green cloth to simulate a "putting green" or something.
...For the billiards theme - also a green cloth to simulate a pool table?, or use a mini cue-stick as a "wand"??


Here's a tip I use:

I "anchor down" the large tumbler with 2 jumbo rubberbands...that criss-cross each other across the top (bottom) of the tumbler. They are stretched between the railings on each corner of the tray. This ALSO secures the tumbler & prevents it from accidently tipping over during handling of the tray. More importantly, it shows that the tumbler is secured to the tray and can't be movbed.It's a very convincing "touch".

I am for exposing it. The method is far mor entertaining than the actual effect (I like poking a stick at the bee hive - lol - I hope you know that I am just yanking your magical chain)

AETAN BLOOM and JUAN Tamariz are on you tube doing a hilarious version.

Far too many tricks are being exposed just for laughs these days.

You are right - but it pays the bills - LOL

Isn't this something originally put out by Jack Hughes in England?