It's a Cracker
by Oliver Meech

Oliver Meech is a 27-year old Oxford University Psychology graduate who creates TV commercials when he's not creating illusions. His first magic book, The Plot Thickens, is available from www.olivermeech.co.uk

Here's something to do after Christmas dinner (other than loosening your trousers, snoring or cringing at drunken relatives).

Effect
The spectator matches cracker jokes to their punch lines without realizing it.

Required
Five jokes from crackers. Just gather them up after everyone has read theirs.

Preparation
None.

Method
Hold the jokes together in a stack and tear them in half to separate the set-up lines from the punch-lines. Lay out the set-up lines on the table, writing-side up. Hand the punch-lines to the spectator writing-side down. Request that they mix them up then lay one on each punch-line.

Read out the first set-up line then turn over the punch-line that's with it. If the two lines match, congratulate the spectator on their psychic abilities. If, as is more likely, they don't match, it's still a good result as the mismatched lines will produce a bizarre and often humorous non-sequitur. Repeat this with the other four jokes, highlighting any lines that happen to match.

Casually gather up the punch-lines into a stack as you suggest that there's another way to make the jokes match. If fact you must collect them so that they match the set-up lines running from left to right. Turn the stack of punch-lines writing-side down. Collect up the set-up lines from left to right, leaving them writing-side up, so the leftmost line ends up showing on top of the stack. Place this stack writing-side up next to the writing-side down stack of punch-lines.

Situation check: the set-up lines are writing-side up, running A,B,C,D,E. the punch-lines are writing-side down, running E,D,C,B,A.

Explain that you will spell the phrase ‘Make The Jokes Match'. For each letter you will transfer one line from the top of a stack to the bottom. They get to choose which of the two stacks you adjust each time. At the end of each word you will put the topmost set-up line to one side along with the topmost punch-line (still writing-side down). When you have worked through four words, place the remaining set-up line and punch-line together.

As long as you spell correctly, the lines will match up automatically.

Ask them how they think they did. After responding to their reply, turn over the cards to show that they have indeed made the jokes match.

Notes
If, through an amazing coincidence (well, a 1 in 120 chance to be precise), all the jokes match after the spectator's first mixing, stop the routine there and accept your gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Credits
Yep, this is a variation on that old chestnut, "Will The Cards Match?" It'll never be a mind-blowing illusion but it's a fun after-dinner diversion that's so easy you can still pull if off after a few sherry's!

Oliver Meech