Let talk about ROPS. This is the kind of sleight that we don't discuss to often and I think it is a shame because is a great technique! So here are some questions?
First of all: do you know this move? Do you use this move in your routines? How often? What do you think about it? Who invented it?

Personally I think it’s a great move (some times it even fools me when I do it in front of a mirror) that I use a lot but I think it’s a difficult move to achieve that needs a lot of practice to get the right timing, however when you get it’s just awesome!
I don’t know who the author is, bout I want to know it (this is one of the mean reasons why I do this thread;))

Best,

The ROPS is a fantastic move, extremely deceptive, invented I believe by Dr Rubinstein. It requires impeccable timing to do convincingly. I use it often, but I don't think think it should be discussed in a forum like this...It takes only a little bit of information to know exactly what this sleight is...of course it is difficult to replicate without having seen it performed...which may lead to poor replication being performed...Anyway, that's just my view of it.

Read all the threads HERE for the ROPS move.

NOT a fan of it. I just think that it looks too obvious sometimes. I've fooled magicians in the course of routines with it but as far as laypeople they can sometimes retrace what happens. His fingerless retention vanish is much better taught on the Knockout Coin Magic DvDs.

I like the version in Discoverie of Witchcraft. Also works in a spectator's hand. : note bene... it was the good doctor who cemented the connection between the basic idea and the retention of vision timing technique.

I made my reputation in the 80's with the R.O.P.S. move. Until I released it on video, it had been kept strictly underground, shared with only the top close up guys. Its all about the timing. If you don't have the timing down, it will look obvious. Only practice will get you the timing, even though the mechanics aren't that hard. Good luck!

I think ROPS is fantastic. Im going to devote some serious practice time to that and the fingerless rentention vanish. I really like those knocout coin magic videos.

Michael,
Actually, I have a write up of ROPS in a set of your lecture notes from the 80's, significantly pre-dating the video description. Looking forward to picking up the dvd's soon to see it actually performed.
Regards,
tr

Yes, the notes predated the videos, but they were mostly sold in Europe. Thanks for the kind words.

Hi,
Chris Korn has some great ideas for usig the R.O.P.S vanish.
What does it actually stand for?
owen

I can attest to the deceptiveness of this move since Michael FOOLED the heck out of me with it at the New York Magic Symposium in the early '80s. I had no idea what happened. I only learned what was recently on Chris Korn's lecture tape. I haven't tried to master it, but I'll bet it isn't easy.

Mike

Daniel, I think that ROPS stand for Retention Open Palm Steal. Ever since I saw this technique when Videonics put them in on video, I have practiced and used them a lot. Many of the techniques that I saw on these videos I use regularly which is more than I can say about any materials, whether written or visual.

The bonus was, and probaly still is, that very few magicians know about it. As for the laymen, the ROPS technique are guaranteed foolers. I am pleased to see that someone like Chris Korn uses these techniques wisely, even though it means that they will be known by too many people.

Yves

When your routine has you putting stuff onto your hand ... the ROPS is context appropriate.

This is the kind of thing that updates the older moves using a wand.

IMHO a great idea and a good tool to have.

It's a fantastic tool. I use it professionally in two routines, and have found no other vanish that works better at certain points in those routines.

The very first time I ever did a decent retention, was after practicing the moves taught on that old Videonics tape (vol 4) of Mike Rubinstein's Mastering Coin Magic series...I could never find the first 3 vol's, so I settled for that. Glad I got that, as Roth and Ammar were my only coin authorities, and Mr. Kaufmann's book was never conveniently available to me. Bobo's book has been my main tome, but video-wise, I now MUST obtain that 3 vol DVD Encylopedia set of his...the other DVD (KNOCK-OUT COIN MAGIC SPECIAL EDITION DVD) is a must have...but don't tell too many people! Need SOME exclusivity! LOL!

Doug

Yves,
Thanks, I have been wondering about that for some time.

Owen


P.S. My name is Owen, Daniel is my surname. Just pointing it out, I get that mistake a lot!

Ditto, Yves! Thank you!

I had been saying it was called, "Rubinstein's Open Palm Steal"...I stand corrected...glad you posted that!

Doug

I love the ROPS move and since we're on this topic and I was watching the Encyclopedia of Coin Sleights (again) and wanted to tell Dr. Rubinstein that I love his move, the Rubinstein Toss. I have been using a HPC-CPH Sankey routine and will definitly be putting your move into my routine.

When I first saw ROPS, I discounted it. Then I came across a problem in a coin trick. I spent days kicking around options, until it finally occurred to me --ROPS.

Most coin vanishes are either false "puts" (i.e. retention vanish) or "takes" (i.e. French drop). ROPS is neither. It is a move that I think should be in the vocabulary of every coin worker. Chris Korn uses it to great effect, vanishing a coin on the offbeat.

I found a description of the ROPS vanish in MAGIC Magazine. it is quite an old copy (2 or 3 years ago, maybe more). it is called the Retention Open Palm Steel, and I had never made the connection that this was the ROPS vanish till this weekend. To think I have been searching for a description for so long and it has been right under my nose!
If anyone wants to know which issue I found it PM me.
Owen