Santa’s Pictures

Here's my take on the classic ESP Match Up packet trick - reimagined especially for Christmas.

Ideal for festive residencies and holiday gigs, this routine is fun to perform, engaging for all ages, and builds to a totally baffling kicker ending.

You introduce two identical sets of five Christmas picture cards, explaining they are Santa's official photos:
Santa himself, an Elf, Rudolph, a Snowman, and a Christmas Tree.
You keep one set and hand the other to a spectator.

Using a playful process of elimination, a single card is "ducked" under either your pile or the spectator's pile for each letter of the phrase:
"Will our photo match?"
The audience decides each time who ducks the card-the volunteer or the magician. One by one, cards are eliminated until you are both left holding just one card each.

To everyone's surprise, the two remaining cards match perfectly.

But that's not all.

Not only do the final cards match-every single card eliminated along the way matches as well.

A fun, interactive, and mind-baffling routine that gets the entire audience involved, ending with a super-cool climax that plays beautifully in any Christmas show.

VERSIONS & EXTRAS

Available in Stage/Parlor and Close-Up editions.

Supplied complete with a beautifully handcrafted crazy horse brown leather card case, engraved on the front with: "Santa's Pictures."

This engraving subtly supports the patter, making it feel like an impromptu moment when you say, "Let's spell out Will our pictures match?" ...then immediately revise it with, "Oooh-photo will be quicker. Let's go with Will our photo match?"

On the back of the case is an additional engraved line:
"You will have Santa."

When you both end on Santa, this delivers a third, unexpected kicker, taking the effect to an even stronger finish.