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The Jumping Rubber Band

A rubber band around two fingers leaps instantly to the other two. One band, no setup, and it works in any language.

You need: One rubber band
Time to learn: About 5 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner

The effect

You show a rubber band looped around your index and middle fingers. You close your hand for a heartbeat, open it, and the band is now around your ring and little fingers. Nothing is added, nothing is taken away, and it can be repeated immediately.

How to do it

The secret stays covered until you ask for it.

1
Set the band
Hold your left hand up, palm toward you, fingers together. Loop a single rubber band over your index and middle fingers so it sits snugly at the base of those two fingers. Let your spectator see clearly that only two fingers are inside the loop.
2
The secret load
With your right hand, pull the front strand of the band straight out toward you. As you do, curl the fingertips of all four fingers — including the ring and little fingers — down into the opening you have made.
3
Close the fist
Release the band and close your left hand into a loose fist. Every fingertip is now inside the loop, but from the front the band still looks as though it is only around the first two fingers. Do not rush this — the closing of the fist is your cover.
4
The jump
Snap your fingers open. The band has no choice but to travel, and it lands around your ring and little fingers. Open your hand fully and show both sides.
5
The encore
Repeat the same secret load and the band jumps straight back. Doing it twice, then handing the band over so the person can try, is what turns a trick into a conversation.

Tips that make it fool people

Use a thin band. A thick one is stiff and slow to jump.
Keep the back of your hand toward the spectator while you load the extra fingers.
Say the line before the move: “Watch the band, not my hand.” Then close and open.
Practice in front of a mirror until the load takes under a second.

Now share it

The point isn’t to keep the secret — it’s to hand someone else the ability to surprise a friend. Teach it to one person today.

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