Mad Mix

MAD MIX

by

Peter Duffie

Mad Mix is a fast moving visual routine based on ideas of Alex Elmsley, Roy Walton and Dai Vernon...with a bit of my own thinking thrown into the 'mix.' I first released this in 1993. It has now been revised with some changes made to the original handling. You require four cards with red backs and four cards with contrasting blue backs. Ideally, the faces should all be Jokers, or blanks. I prefer blanks so that only the backs matter. Set each packet as follows from top to bottom as shown below. I keep each packet in a seperate compartment in a wallet so I can easily remove them without spreading the cards:

Packet A

Packet B

PHASE 1 Remove the packets and place them face down on the table with 'A' to your left and 'B' to the right. Pick up 'A' and Elmsley Count to show four reds then replace the packet on the table - FACE UP. Do the same with 'B' showing four blues and replace them on the table again - face up. With your left hand pick off the face two cards from 'A' together without reversing their order - then with your right hand pick off the face two cards from 'B.' Cross your hands over and replace the pairs onto the opposite packets from which they came (see below). Point out that there are now two of each colour per pile.

MAD MIX

Snap your fingers then pick up packet 'A' and turn it face down. Elmsley Count to show four reds once again - injog the final two cards of the count - then replace the packet on the table - face down this time. Don't try to hide the injogged cards as you will openly lift them off in a moment. Pick up 'B' and repeat the count to show all blue backs and replace on the table face down. The current position is shown below.

PHASE 2 With your left hand carefully pick off the top two injogged cards from 'A' and then, with your right hand, do likewise with 'B.' Be very careful not to expose the odd cards at the bottom of either packet. Hence the injogs! Swap the hands over and replace the pairs on top of the opposite packets. See below.

MAD MIX

Now turn both packets face up then, and in a magical gesture, openly swap both over. Pick up the left hand packet - 'A' - turn it face down, then Elmsley Count to show, once again, four reds. This time place the last card to the bottom at the end of the count then replace the packet on the table - face down. Repeat this procedure with packet 'B.' PHASE 3 You now offer to do it in slow motion Pick up A and perform half an Elmsley count - i.e., you only go through with the count as far as the count of two (you stop immediately after the switch). Place the two cards just counted, which will be a red with a blue below, face down on the table at position 1 as depicted below Place the remaining two face down at position 2. Pick up 'B' and count off two again, executing only half of the Elmsley Count, then place these two cards face down at position 3. Then place the remaining two cards face down at position 4, as shown below.

MAD MIX

Ask a spectator to pick up the two cards at position 4. ( indicating with your hand which pair he is to pick up and have him drop them on top of the pair at position 1. Now ask him to pick up the two cards at position 2 and drop them onto the pair at position 3. As below.

Turn both packets face up then swap them over as a magical gesture. Pick up A, turn it face down and Elmsley Count to show once again four reds placing the last card to the bottom at the end of the count. Repeat with B to show four blue cards. As the spectator did the mixing here it will come as a big surprise to see the colours separated again. FINAL PHASE - FOLLOW THE LEADER With both packets lying face down on the table remove the top card of each packet and place it still face down in front of its packet (see below). "These will act as markers," you say.

MAD MIX

Pick up packet B and turn it face up and hold it in the left hand then pick up packet A and also turn it face up. Hold A above B - keeping both packets separate - and square packet A. Look directly at the spectator saying, "I'll show you one last and most interesting thing with the cards." As you speak, replace 'A' face up on the table BUT place it below the marker for 'B' i.e., the blue marker. Replace the other three cards below the remaining marker (see below). You have in fact secretly changed the positions of the packets in respect of their corresponding markers in a manner similar to that often used for Out of this World. Do not worry about this as no-one knows what is about to happen and do not try to make a move out of it.

MAD MIX

You now conclude with a version of Vernon's Follow the Leader. a) Openly swap over the two markers then turn the two cards at the face of each pile face down onto the markers to reveal that the colours have magically followed. b) Openly swap over each of the two face up pairs this time, then again turn over the face cards onto the markers to show the match in colour. c) Finally ask the spectator which to swap - the markers or the cards? Of course it doesn't matter, whichever you swap. Finally, dramatically turn over the remaining face up cards to conclude.

Mad Mix Copyright © Peter Duffie 1993 Revised electronic edition 2001