Cups and ball tricks are one of the oldest and most well-known illusions for good reason. They leave a lot of room for variation and – when done correctly – are still amazing and baffling to watch.

Here are a few brilliantly executed routines:

Tommy Wonder’s audience is only inches away and still can’t follow his sleight of hand:

Ricky Jay weaves wonderful storytelling into his routine:

But maybe the most amazing thing of all would be if the illusionists told – and in fact showed you – exactly how they did the trick and you still couldn’t follow or comprehend it. That’s what Penn & Teller do here: