Effect: You lay out three sponge balls in a row on a tabletop or other flat surface. You then give a spectator three chances to guess how many sponge balls go into his pocket and how many remain in his hand. Just when the spectator seems to be catching on, he is shocked by the finale.
Secret: The beauty of this effect is that you can perform it with four of any small object; including wadded up dollar bills, sugar cubes, etc. The secret to this trick is, once again, based on the “one ahead” principal. You start the routine with one sponge ball secretly palmed in your right (or left, if left-handed) hand.
1. Place three sponge balls in a row on the table right in front of you. The fourth and the fourth secretly palmed in you curled right fingers.
2. Pick up the first ball to your right and place it along with the palmed ball into your left hand counting aloud, “That’s one.” You actually now hold two in your left hand.
3. Pick up the next ball and place it into your left hand in exactly the same way as you did the first time, announcing, “That’s two.”
4. Pick up the third ball and saying, “Third one goes in the pocket,” pretend to put it in your right coat or pants pocket. Instead, hold it in the finger palm position and remove your hand from your pocket, secretly retaining the ball in your right hand.
5. Ask the spectator how many are in your hand and he will likely answer, “Two.” Show him that there are actually three balls in your hand, which you display in a row like before.
6. For the second round, execute the “two as one” pickup move again; put them in your left hand and say, “That’s one.” Pick up the next ball and put it in your hand saying, “That’s two.”
7. Finally, pick up the third ball, saying, “One goes in the pocket.” But this time, actually put it in your pocket and leave it there. You can now freely show this hand empty but without calling attention to it.
8. Again ask the spectator how many are in your hand and again, he will likely say, “Two.” Again show him that there are actually three in your hand. Lay them down in a row.
9. For the finale, say, “Let’s try just once more.” Begin again, as you did before by picking up the ball on the right. This time, as you say, “That’s one,” secretly retain the ball in your right hand by executing a false transfer. So your left fist is now empty even though the spectator believes there is one ball in it.
10. Without hesitation, move your right hand toward the next ball and execute the ‘two-as-one’ pick up. Open your left fist just enough to feint putting the two balls in that hand while your right hand secretly retains both balls. Say, “That’s two.”
11. Now pick up the third ball at the fingertips of your right hand, still concealing the two other balls in your hand. Say, “Last ball goes in the pocket.” Now leave all three balls in your pocket as you withdraw an empty right hand. Your left hand is still closed in a fist.
12. Ask, “How many in my hand?” No matter what they say, you answer, “No, they’re all gone because that’s the end of the trick!” With that, open your left hand to show that all three balls have vanished in a startling climax!
