He wasn't trying to fool them. Many of us know how it's done. When it's done as well as Paul does it, that doesn't matter. At some point you stop looking for the slight of hand you know is going on and just enjoy the performance.
Even if you know the sleight of hand, he can go so quickly, you lose track of where everything is. Took me three times to follow it all from start to finish, but I still miss the pile of red balls being loaded and the can being loaded. So smoothly done.
I learned a lot of the sleights out of a kids magic. I can do a decent version of cup and balls, better then the standard one but nothing special any magician would see how it’s done even a fellow amateur, but seeing it done so well and with the addition of sound is what elevates a trick to an art. It’s the difference between a kid who’s had a couple years of piano lessons and a concert pianist who’s preformed for years.
Even as a non-magician I kind of know how he does it and I kind of can see him do it at times, but he's so smooth in doing it, that it doesn't matter! If you don't understand the trick, you're impressed because it's a mystery. If you understand thetrick, you're impressed because you can't spot it. If you can spot the trick, you're still impressed because of the utter skill it takes to do it.
I absolutely love it how he doesn’t go onto the show to fool them he goes on there to show them such a simplistic trick that has been adored for centuries and add such a beautiful spin its really amazing to see, and its so beautiful.
If you are in the Boston Area or visiting on a Friday Night come and see the Magic that Fooled Penn & Teller Live. The 7:00pm show is Sold Out most nights... but we just added a 9:00PM show and tickets are still available. Go to: www.MiraclesAndOtherDeceptions.com
This is how spectacular magic is done. Perfectly elegant flow, while looking totally relaxed yet constantly ramping up the wow factor. Standing ovation Sir!
Paul, I love how you knew that Penn and Teller knew that you knew you weren't really trying to fool them. You wanted to show them a personal and private story about an amazing trick.( as you mentioned throughout). Just a great performance by someone who is well known in the magic circuit, has the respect of many aspiring magicians, and who wrote the book on many many magic tricks you see other magicians perform.
Any TH-cam Fans in the Boston Area??? Come see the magic that fooled Penn & Teller at my new show Friday Nights at The Omni Parker House. Tickets Available at www.MiraclesAndOtherDeceptions.com
As a reasonable normal person who understands magic is best left in films and fantasy. I understand this is a trick. I rationally know this man is not summoning things out of thin air. I am glad I know this. Because what I am seeing is giving me a hard time of holding true to what I know. It is a trick... but if this guy did this in medieval days I would worship him as the second coming of Christ.
Lol really? guy pulls balls out of a cup and a coke... and you'd worship him as Christ? Forget that Christ didn't do parlor tricks... that he healed leprosy, lame, the blind and those with various diseases. I haven't seen any magicians doing those things. Oh well... to each their own lol.
Recently watched a video that broke down a trick that was very similar to this; for a while I was with you and figured I knew how you did the trick. Then you started rapid firing on pulling balls out of the cups, each of various sizes and then a coke can. Just when I thought I had the trick figured out, you blow my mind again! Well done sir, absolutely astounding.
You know a magician is good when you can see exactly how the trick is done, yet you still pay for them to perform it for you. 10/10 would pay to see again
Watching Paul Gertner performing a trick is like watching a solid movie for the 10th time; you know what happens but you watch it 'til the end due to respect.
Cups and balls is so great because i feel like i should be able to rewind and catch you doing stuff, but every time i try, i come up short. I love watching you work!
I mean, when you've seen cups and balls for a few times, you know how it's done, but you know what? I still love seeing it. It makes the charm and wit all the more important and he just does it so well.
I can see the palm up from the lap with the largest ball... but then I totally lose track of everything when it comes to the coke and the sponge balls. Very nice work Paul.
The table is compressible and the can of Coke is half empty. He didn't seem to be trying to win the contest; just wanted to do the cups and balls for Penn and Teller.
I saw how the trick was done after rewatching it a couple times. I'm not sure what the table being compressible and the coke being half empty would have anything to do with it other than making it easier for him. Everything was just clever sleight of hand and distracting while he was reaching under the table.
everyone who's ever seen magic knows this trick, they know it's a trick but it's not about the trick, it's about the performance and he does a fantastic job of it
Just the epitome of great magic performed flawlessly with an excellent, classy, yet unpretentious patter. Paul's ability to infuse so much of his own personality and sentiment into such a ubiquitous routine cannot be understated!
Paul Daniels "chop cup" will always be my favourite version of the cups and balls, but this is a very close second, his delivery and slight of hand skill is absolutely masterful, amazing trick, no other way to put it
There is something about these old classics that gets the best reactions from the audience. This partial familiarity of how the trick works creates ths uncanny valley where an avarage spectator can be fooled and actually feel fooled, not cheated.
Dream storming! Man great name. I do that too. Well...used to do that. Thanks for reminding me. That can of Coke? Goosebumps. Really really jaw dropping.
Paul gertner has always been a supreme force to be reckoned with when it comes to the cups and balls. I have seen him perform this at trade shows all over.
Whew, Paul. I’ve been watching this many times but every time I find new nuances which make this so awesome. I just bought some 1 1/16 ” steel balls for another trick but haven’t tried this yet. This is so hair-raising to do with brass cups. And btw, your cups sound beautifully tuned so they are well made. The audio made this one of the most respecting trick to those ancient times.
This is beautiful. I can, thankfully, track this experiment since I used to love hustling at carnivals and taking the cash after pointing out their hiding of the ball. Like in 4:30 every time he says it penetrates, he puts it on the edge of the first cup and pushes the second cup down to raise the ball, thanks to the shape of the cup. Genius.
This was awesome. At 3:41 - 3:42 (right on 3:42) there's an odd sound though. The only thing I don't get is the coke can. Is it a trick can? It did seem like there was very little in it. Was it compressed? Even if it is where does it come from? The last time that cup is down is 6:29 and I don't see a thing happening except two cups stacked. Best part for me.
Regardless if it's just really high leveled amount of sight of hand. It's also very well performed and incredibly well said story to go with it. Now that's magic
best cups and ball routine. i understand the trick and the difficulty of this. even then, Amazing delivery and performance. my favorite cups and balls routine!
The coke bit was easy to work out - instantly I knew what it was as when he placed the glass on the table he had some powder in the bottom of it...I thought why is that there? Then after he pulls out the coke can that is retractable, I realised he simply had bi carbo of soda (baking soda) in it and that was watered down brown vinegar in the can, a very small amount by the looks of it, as it was a compressed retractable can, plus the angle he poured it at when empty! .
Pause at 6:35, look at his left hand, just after he raises it and bringsi t close to the cup, whats that you seein his hand? htats right. the huge metal ball.
Me, an absolute amateur magician: I see right through him... but god, he's entertaining! That was only on replays, watching his hands, etc. Penn and Teller must be awesome!
The coke can is partially compressable so it only holds a little bit of coke, which you can see when he pours the glass and has to tip the can very far to get the last bit out despite the glass being very small.
My favorite park of the show is the sense of respect and admiration between professionals.
This is very advanced sleight of hand and the way he performed it was just jaw dropping. And talking about his dad while doing it was just amazing
Leven us yes, magic is always better when a story is involved too
it was so peaceful and enjoyable!
Talking about his dad's balls....
loved Penn's double talk at the end. "Everything is compressible," "glass half empty." Brilliant performance nonetheless
He wasn't trying to fool them. Many of us know how it's done. When it's done as well as Paul does it, that doesn't matter. At some point you stop looking for the slight of hand you know is going on and just enjoy the performance.
CrimFerret exactly, they were pretty obvious but by the time the big ones arrived I was like whoa ok who cares then the Coke whoa and the balls whoa 😂
So true Crim-Ferret, enjoy the first time, but then go back and replay with the pause.
Even if you know the sleight of hand, he can go so quickly, you lose track of where everything is. Took me three times to follow it all from start to finish, but I still miss the pile of red balls being loaded and the can being loaded. So smoothly done.
I learned a lot of the sleights out of a kids magic. I can do a decent version of cup and balls, better then the standard one but nothing special any magician would see how it’s done even a fellow amateur, but seeing it done so well and with the addition of sound is what elevates a trick to an art. It’s the difference between a kid who’s had a couple years of piano lessons and a concert pianist who’s preformed for years.
What strikes me as being so brilliant about his performance is the rhythm and cadences of the tricks. It's like watching a firework show.
Even as a non-magician I kind of know how he does it and I kind of can see him do it at times, but he's so smooth in doing it, that it doesn't matter!
If you don't understand the trick, you're impressed because it's a mystery. If you understand thetrick, you're impressed because you can't spot it. If you can spot the trick, you're still impressed because of the utter skill it takes to do it.
I absolutely love it how he doesn’t go onto the show to fool them he goes on there to show them such a simplistic trick that has been adored for centuries and add such a beautiful spin its really amazing to see, and its so beautiful.
Congrats on being such a classy and entertaining guy, Paul. Your performances are wonderful.
If you are in the Boston Area or visiting on a Friday Night come and see the Magic that Fooled Penn & Teller Live. The 7:00pm show is Sold Out most nights... but we just added a 9:00PM show and tickets are still available. Go to: www.MiraclesAndOtherDeceptions.com
This is how spectacular magic is done. Perfectly elegant flow, while looking totally relaxed yet constantly ramping up the wow factor. Standing ovation Sir!
He was there to perform for them, not to fool them.
You are probably one of the greatest minds in tricks, thank you for all of your magical performances.
A nice russki, seem rare, jk.
I love Paul Gertner more and more every time I see him perform. What a class act he is. He's a true showman.
Paul, I love how you knew that Penn and Teller knew that you knew you weren't really trying to fool them. You wanted to show them a personal and private story about an amazing trick.( as you mentioned throughout). Just a great performance by someone who is well known in the magic circuit, has the respect of many aspiring magicians, and who wrote the book on many many magic tricks you see other magicians perform.
Any TH-cam Fans in the Boston Area??? Come see the magic that fooled Penn & Teller at my new show Friday Nights at The Omni Parker House. Tickets Available at www.MiraclesAndOtherDeceptions.com
As a reasonable normal person who understands magic is best left in films and fantasy. I understand this is a trick. I rationally know this man is not summoning things out of thin air. I am glad I know this. Because what I am seeing is giving me a hard time of holding true to what I know. It is a trick... but if this guy did this in medieval days I would worship him as the second coming of Christ.
Lol really? guy pulls balls out of a cup and a coke... and you'd worship him as Christ? Forget that Christ didn't do parlor tricks... that he healed leprosy, lame, the blind and those with various diseases. I haven't seen any magicians doing those things.
Oh well... to each their own lol.
Aaron Torres You also haven't seen Christ do any of those things...
Aaron Torres
I saw a unicorn the other day. It was amazing. I'll write about it in a book some day for others to read, for posterity.
Aaron Torres lmao bible thumpers take shit so serious, it's called a joke bud
People are always so hard on the poor old medieval folk. I’m pretty sure magic tricks were a common form of entertainment back then same as today.. 😅
Recently watched a video that broke down a trick that was very similar to this; for a while I was with you and figured I knew how you did the trick. Then you started rapid firing on pulling balls out of the cups, each of various sizes and then a coke can. Just when I thought I had the trick figured out, you blow my mind again!
Well done sir, absolutely astounding.
The ball bearings are misdirection for the end of the trick, as they set you up with a false expectation about the nature of the other props.
You know a magician is good when you can see exactly how the trick is done, yet you still pay for them to perform it for you.
10/10 would pay to see again
Well that was amazing.
w1q2e3r4t5 only part that i actually saw was when he put the big ball under the left cup at 5:45. Otherwise my jaw is resting on the floor
This is one of my absolute favorite acts. Paul delivers it spectacularly.
Love how purely excited he was to show Penn and Teller. Someone who really enjoys his trade
I love to see how creative minds like Paul Gertner's can bring something new even to the oldest trick in magic.
Watching Paul Gertner performing a trick is like watching a solid movie for the 10th time; you know what happens but you watch it 'til the end due to respect.
Hello Paul. You probably already know it but your version of the cups and balls is the best ever. Greetings from Argentina
Allison's expression when she was asked to guess... priceless!
i know how most of this is done, but i enjoy the presentation so much i still come back just to watch the awesome showmanship.
I just love these insane sleight of hand performances soooooooooo much
Your storytelling and performing abilities are world-class. What a wonderful and entertaining act, Paul. Amazing.
I love this performance. I love how relaxed and confident he is.
Cups and balls is so great because i feel like i should be able to rewind and catch you doing stuff, but every time i try, i come up short. I love watching you work!
I absolutely love his delivery!
listening to this guy's voice is very comforting
I mean, when you've seen cups and balls for a few times, you know how it's done, but you know what? I still love seeing it. It makes the charm and wit all the more important and he just does it so well.
I can see the palm up from the lap with the largest ball... but then I totally lose track of everything when it comes to the coke and the sponge balls. Very nice work Paul.
The table is compressible and the can of Coke is half empty.
He didn't seem to be trying to win the contest; just wanted to do the cups and balls for Penn and Teller.
I saw how the trick was done after rewatching it a couple times. I'm not sure what the table being compressible and the coke being half empty would have anything to do with it other than making it easier for him. Everything was just clever sleight of hand and distracting while he was reaching under the table.
Lang I think cups have a thumb press spring loaded trap door to insert balls. Great Magic.
Well he did fool them once
everyone who's ever seen magic knows this trick, they know it's a trick but it's not about the trick, it's about the performance and he does a fantastic job of it
You have that entirely backwards but the magic is in the sleight.
Just the epitome of great magic performed flawlessly with an excellent, classy, yet unpretentious patter. Paul's ability to infuse so much of his own personality and sentiment into such a ubiquitous routine cannot be understated!
This is one of my favorite tricks. I always come back to thus vid.
I love watching magic shows. Makes me feel like a kid again.
Paul Daniels "chop cup" will always be my favourite version of the cups and balls, but this is a very close second, his delivery and slight of hand skill is absolutely masterful, amazing trick, no other way to put it
There is something about these old classics that gets the best reactions from the audience. This partial familiarity of how the trick works creates ths uncanny valley where an avarage spectator can be fooled and actually feel fooled, not cheated.
your a very gifted entertainer Paul, thanks for sharing your gift!
Paul, this is the equivalent of fine art for magicians. Bravo!
Dream storming! Man great name. I do that too. Well...used to do that. Thanks for reminding me.
That can of Coke? Goosebumps. Really really jaw dropping.
The coke can is a bit obvious but the sleight with the balls is glorious!
U can see him put the large ball on the table after grabbing it from below
The most incredible magician I've ever seen. Also the most adorable too!
Such smooth slight of hand. Excellent work.
Incredible slight of hand!! One of my favorite of your tricks
I like how the audience was on the same page when he pulled out the glass.
Ball and cup trick with see through cups. Now THAT would be something
I need Paul to show me magic tricks and tell me stories while I sit by the fire and sip hot coco. I miss my Gramps.
Paul gertner has always been a supreme force to be reckoned with when it comes to the cups and balls. I have seen him perform this at trade shows all over.
Dude!! What a Finale!!
Love... love... Love this guy! Brilliant!
I love this act , rewatched it so many times. This is work of art and I hope one day I will get to learn how it's done :D
My favorite routine of yours... with a twist. Love it!
All these amazing talents, and I keep coming back for Allison. Should have a special where she does some magic tricks
This is a trick that you can know how it's done and even knowing, watch somebody do it this well and still enjoy it.
When I first heard that sound come out of the middle cup, it completely blew my mind. I went back just to listen. That's some advanced new sleight.
I came back every time for the pure artistry and the respect between the professional
Whew, Paul. I’ve been watching this many times but every time I find new nuances which make this so awesome. I just bought some 1 1/16 ” steel balls for another trick but haven’t tried this yet. This is so hair-raising to do with brass cups. And btw, your cups sound beautifully tuned so they are well made. The audio made this one of the most respecting trick to those ancient times.
Just amazing! Keep up the good work, I really look forward to more. You're so entertaining!
loved the trick and once again you displayed excellent showmanship..
That was so good my man. You crushed it!!!!
Truly a master of the craft, well done Paul
it is an honor gracing us with this - absolutely amazing
Best cups and balls ever.
Wonderful! When you opened the can at the end my jaw hit the floor.
10:26 - There is an alloy thing in the right hand (it is seen between the middle and the ring finger)
This is beautiful. I can, thankfully, track this experiment since I used to love hustling at carnivals and taking the cash after pointing out their hiding of the ball. Like in 4:30 every time he says it penetrates, he puts it on the edge of the first cup and pushes the second cup down to raise the ball, thanks to the shape of the cup. Genius.
You are a pleasure to watch
This is Paul's rendition of Gazzo's Cups and Balls. Awesome routine, regardless.
I'm a fan of Paul gertner ,😍😍😍 he's awesome
You can tell Penn loves this man xD
Because he’s grinning like a kid on Christmas
This was awesome. At 3:41 - 3:42 (right on 3:42) there's an odd sound though. The only thing I don't get is the coke can. Is it a trick can? It did seem like there was very little in it. Was it compressed? Even if it is where does it come from? The last time that cup is down is 6:29 and I don't see a thing happening except two cups stacked. Best part for me.
I’m from pittsburgh too, love the city!
Very nice control to make the bell sounds 👍🏽
Regardless if it's just really high leveled amount of sight of hand. It's also very well performed and incredibly well said story to go with it. Now that's magic
best cups and ball routine. i understand the trick and the difficulty of this. even then, Amazing delivery and performance. my favorite cups and balls routine!
The ending to his trick just bout made me cry... also reminded me of the song "Go for a Soda"
Great job as always, Paul......very entertaining!!
SO PROUD OF MYSELF FOR CATCHING A TON OF THIS!!! STILL MIND BLOWING
CRAP THERES MORE!!! NVM
There's a shine in his hand at 5:02 where you can see the palmed balls :P
this was so well done...very impressive 👏👏👏👏🏾👏🏼👏🏿👏🏻
GREAT one, Paul Gertner!
No matter did you fool or not. I loved this trick and how it did grow towards the end.
Wow your sleight of hand is insane along with your story! 😮
well done. the cups and balls continues to evolve.
An amazing performer and amazing act.
If you look carefully at around 1:36 you can see him placing the ball under the cup
just wow
The coke bit was easy to work out - instantly I knew what it was as when he placed the glass on the table he had some powder in the bottom of it...I thought why is that there? Then after he pulls out the coke can that is retractable, I realised he simply had bi carbo of soda (baking soda) in it and that was watered down brown vinegar in the can, a very small amount by the looks of it, as it was a compressed retractable can, plus the angle he poured it at when empty! .
Wow
Ari Cagan
Ari, you forgot the "!!!"
Pause at 6:35, look at his left hand, just after he raises it and bringsi t close to the cup, whats that you seein his hand? htats right. the huge metal ball.
Me, an absolute amateur magician: I see right through him... but god, he's entertaining! That was only on replays, watching his hands, etc. Penn and Teller must be awesome!
You are the Best
That was awesome
it was amazing
The coke can is partially compressable so it only holds a little bit of coke, which you can see when he pours the glass and has to tip the can very far to get the last bit out despite the glass being very small.
6:33 That has to be the most insane sleight of hand ever. How is that even possible?
wasn't this performed on one of the old World's Greatest Magic specials broadcast on NBC back in the 90's?
Wonderful practitioner and performer.
When he gave a cheers to his dad, that made me cry a bit