Santas Pictures (Close up)

Let’s talk about a cheeky twist on the classic ESP Match Up packet trick—crafted just for the festive season.

Perfect for those holiday gigs and seasonal residencies, this routine is a blast to perform, keeps everyone engaged (yes, even the kids), and culminates in a mind-boggling finish that’ll leave them scratching their heads.

You kick things off by introducing two identical sets of five Christmas picture cards, which just happen to be Santa's official snapshots:
Santa himself, an Elf, Rudolph, a Snowman, and a Christmas Tree.
You hold onto one set and pass the other to a spectator.

With a playful elimination process, 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 gets to decide who ducks the card each time—will it be the volunteer or the magician? One by one, cards disappear until you both end up with just one card each.

And here’s the kicker—the final cards match like they’re made for each other.

But wait, there’s more!

Not only do the last cards match—every single card that got eliminated matches as well.

A delightful, interactive, and head-scratching routine that gets the whole audience involved, finishing with a bang that fits beautifully into any Christmas show.

VERSIONS & EXTRAS

Available in Stage/Parlor and Close-Up editions.

Comes complete with a stunningly crafted crazy horse brown leather card case, engraved on the front with: "Santa's Pictures."

This engraving adds a nice touch to the patter, making it feel like a spontaneous moment when you say, "Let’s spell out Will our pictures match?" ...before quickly revising it with, "Oh wait, photo will be quicker. Let’s stick with Will our photo match?"

Flip the case over and there’s another engraved gem:
"You will have Santa."

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