Cracker Kings

The perfect Mentalism opener!

This is my ‘go to’ effect when starting a larger mentalism set.
Cracker Kings is quick, easy and 100% reliable.

Effect

Your spectator is told that everyone can be easily in uenced.

As an example you ask them to name any one of the four kings from a
deck of cards. Immediately you reveal that you have predicted their
choice as you spread a pack of four cards to show the exact king that
they named is the only face up card in the packet. Then, to disprove the
notion of any sleight of hand, you tun the card over to reveal it has a
different colour back to the other three.

Thoughts

This is a very simple effect, the reaction however is always fantastic and I
truly believe it to be one of the best ways to grab your audiences attention
before going into other and possibly more complicated routines.
I do not claim to have invented this trick… it’s as ‘Old As The Hills’.
I remember getting this exact trick in some Christmas Crackers around 25
years ago! I also had a version of this made with the ‘Jacks’ as part of a
Marvin’s Magic set… again that must be 20 plus years ago. I’ve asked
around and everyone I have spoken to has also said, yep its so old that it
can’t be attributed to a certain inventor.
So, all I have done is make it available in my Night Flight design.
They are also ‘marked’ and printed on 100% PVC (plastic) stock so that
your set will last you a VERY long time.

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As the cards are marked, you never have to remember the orientation of
the packet. Instead you simply see the marks and spread accordingly.

You Have Received

• 4 x Marked - Night Flight PVC Playing Cards.

• 1 Plastic Sleeve.

The Cards are as follows:

• 2 x Double Backer’s Red / Blue
• 1 x Double Index King, Hearts / Diamonds - Blue Back
• 1 x Double index King, Spades / Clubs - Red Back

Set Up

Please notice that the Night Flight Markings are on all the cards.
This means that the double backers which are on top and bottom of the
packet will reveal to you the orientation in which to spread the packet.

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Copying the illustration below is the easiest way to set the cards up.

Alternatively… Here is the set up written for you.

Place one of the Red / Blue double backers down on the table… Red side
up.
Note that the marks in the left hand corner are different on each end of
the card.
When looking at the card on the table, have the top left mark as the
HEART and the bottom right mark as DIAMOND.

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Next place the Red King/s (blue back) face up on top of the rst card…
making sure that the orientation matches the card below it. Meaning that
the face up King should also be HEART in the top left corner and
DIAMOND bottom right.
Next place the Black King/s face down (back showing) on top of the other
two cards. This card needs to be orientated so that the SPADE mark is
top left and CLUB is bottom right.
Lastly place the other Red / Blue double backer on top in the same
orientation as the rst card.
That is, Hearts top left and Diamonds bottom right.

This next illustration shows how the packet will look if you turn it over.

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Now that the cards are in the correct order… Place them into the sleeve
with the red cards visible on the window side… there is a reason for this.
The reason is simply because when asked to choose a suit, people tend
to think of either Red suit. I believe this is because most people don’t
seem to remember what ‘clubs’ are called!

I like to keep the cards in the sleeve in my wallet.

Keep them so that they are window side down when removed. Doing so
shall mean that it is always ready to perform.

Routine and Handling

Approach your audience and say…

“I’d like to demonstrate just how easy is it to in uence a person’s

choices… after all, this is the entire reason that advertising works
and of course why companies spend millions on research and
production. This however didn’t cost me millions… It is in fact a
super simple test to get us started… Here I have the 4 kings from a
pack of cards.”

Reach into your wallet or pocket and remove the packet of cards (in the
sleeve and window facing down so that no cards are visible).

“I believe you sir, yes you are the person in this group who will
choose the correct card… If you were to name one of the 4 kings,
spades, hearts, clubs or diamonds, which one would you select?”

“Spades”

“The King of Spades… why?”

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 “I dunno really”

“Exactly, so I will give you the chance to change your mind?”

It doesn’t matter if they change their mind whilst the cards are in the face
down sleeve. Play this up however you would like.
Depending on what the person does or says here will inspire many
different ways to take the presentation. Sadly way too many to cover
every response we may receive.
It’s at this point I pull the cards from their sleeve (window down which
means black cards are face up and ready for the reveal).

Pull the cards out of the sleeve (never revealing that the other side had a
window), look at the markings and spread the packet accordingly.
In our example it is ‘spades', so you need to spot the spades marking and
grab the cards with your ngers at the other end (near clubs marking) and
simply spread the packet revealing the ‘King of Spades’ as your predicted
card!

If they chose a Red card then you have an ever so slightly nicer moment
in that you can turn the sleeve/packet over as you remove the cards red
side up! This isn’t a massive point to make but it certainly makes the
entire thing look that little bit fairer.

After the reveal of the face up card, you can now turn the card over
revealing it to have a different colour back to the other 3 cards! This is an
amazing kicker.

As you can’t show the faces of the other cards I generally rush straight
into my next effect. I’ll put the cards away ready for the next group as I
say…

“You’re really good at this but for the next experiment I’d like to use
this lady, let me get out a full pack of cards.”

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The Cracker Kings are put away quickly and 99 out of 100 people never
say a thing. For that 1 in a hundred moment when someone says “Can I
have a look at those cards?” I say… “later yes but now I have to continue
as each group only has a few minutes”
From here I do into a simple pick any card and I name it. Of course Im
using the worlds easiest to read marked deck… the Night Flight Deck.

Final Thoughts

The best way to get familiar with the workings is to practise by revealing
each card to yourself. Once you’ve done it a few times you really will be
able to do it without thinking. It’s just a case of spotting the marks!

I very much hope you enjoy performing Cracker Kings as much as I do. It
really is a perfect opening effect due to the speed in which it happens and
the fact that it can’t go wrong!

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