Memorized deck GODS!

[adr11]

So I saw this article in the NYT Magazine and realized that, if you've always wanted to do memorized deck magic (e.g., Aronson, Mnemonica, etc.) but still haven't done it because you think it's too difficult to learn, you officially and publicly have no excuse now. These guys are unbelievable! Check it out:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/20/magazine/mind-secrets.html

To me, developing a memory like these guys have opens the door to a world of real magic. Laymen never suspect that memory is the method because it never occurs to them that the memory is capable of doing these things. Remember that scene in The Cincinnati Kid where Steve McQueen looks at a face-up card spread and instantly know the position of every card? Well, apparently that's possible with a whole lot of practice. I'd love to hear from anyone who's attained or is working towards this level of proficiency.

 

[DaltonWayne]

I have been practicing the "memorize deck" for awhile now, I have actually came up with a great routine incorporating many different ideas to prove to a spectator you have obtained these skills. You are able to remember every position of every card. Locate the Ace's ( Any number of cards ) from a shuffled deck, and/or spectator takes out a card and you are able to tell what card is missing by process of elimination. A video of this will be up soon , up on my youtube channel. Its a great piece. Keep a look out!

 

[Steve Dio]

I have been practicing the "memorize deck" for awhile now, I have actually came up with a great routine incorporating many different ideas to prove to a spectator you have obtained these skills. You are able to remember every position of every card. Locate the Ace's ( Any number of cards ) from a shuffled deck, and/or spectator takes out a card and you are able to tell what card is missing by process of elimination. A video of this will be up soon , up on my youtube channel. Its a great piece. Keep a look out!

A great routine isn't great when performed on camera, in your room, with no spectators, whithout showing your face. Talking about such abilities as photo-retaining a whole deck in a 5 minute Youtube video is weak. Any intelligent person would ask why the hell are you wasting your time blabbering about memory alone in your room when you can count cards in a casino.
So:
1) Choose your performance environment wisely
2) Don't underplay or overplay effects. It will make you look silly.

I've been working with memorized decks for a long time and I took the time to develop my own system. I would recommend you to do likewise. You should also check the Stebbins work.

 

[ChrisWiens]

Working with a memorized deck isn´t hard (the hard part is the sleight-of-hand necessary to make it work for some effects). You don´t need memory skills for that. You learn it once and use it forever. Memorizing and memorized deck work are two totally different things.
Although there´re tricks with memdecks that are pseudo-memory skill presentations, you want to hide (and should) the fact that you know the order of the cards asleep. Memorizing a whole deck of cards on the fly can get great reactions and maybe the spectators are even more impressed, but it is not magic.
I don´t see a need for memorizing a whole deck in magic (I´m not talking about memdeck work, which is tremedously useful in my opinion) other than showing pure memory skill. You have to look at the cards at some point and the spectator may suggest you´ve memorized the deck (you can´t hide the slightest suspicion that you know the order of the card because you HAVE to look at the order sooner or later), or you´ll use an already memorized deck (Aronson stack, Mnemonica stack etc.) and the spectator don´t know that you know the order. The method is totally hidden and there´s no way a spectator would suggest you knowing the order of the cards at any point.
Seeing Juan Tamariz, Simon Aronson or Michael Close doing their memdeck magic is always a pleasure.

For real memory work, the books by Harry Lorayne are a good starting point. He´s also a great magician, but even more know for his memory books.

I have been practicing the "memorize deck" for awhile now, I have actually came up with a great routine incorporating many different ideas to prove to a spectator you have obtained these skills. You are able to remember every position of every card. Locate the Ace's ( Any number of cards ) from a shuffled deck, and/or spectator takes out a card and you are able to tell what card is missing by process of elimination. A video of this will be up soon , up on my youtube channel. Its a great piece. Keep a look out!

Harry Lorayne published a system, 'The Epitome Location' (which is based on a well-known mathematical principle but he refined it to be more effective and usable in a performance situation) in his book 'The Classic Collection Vol1.' (he devoted an entire chapter to it). No need to know the entire deck or eliminate cards to locate the missing card from the deck.

 

[THE DEALER]

i love memorized deck work as well as mnemonics in general. i have a number of stacks memorized myself. the fastest ive timed myself to memorize a random shuffled deck is a minute and a half, now it takes me about three minutes simply because i havent kept myself sharp...i wouldnt however, memorize a deck in front of an audience because it may take away from the magic. i already have my own stack that i use for performance. i do use it when im playing cards though, especially rummy. my wife hates it.

 

[praetoritevong]

If there are people who feel challenged by the idea of the memorized deck... Don't be. Try it out. It definitely takes effort. But try Juan Tamariz's Mnemonica. He gives you 5 methods of memorizing the stack that he says allows an average person to memorize the stack in 3 hours. I believe him - it didn't take me that long. Three hours isn't a big commitment.

Also, to briefly weigh in on the debate about memorizing a deck as an effect - here's a thought. How about you teach your spectators to memorize a deck instead? That's my favourite take

 

[saborfang17]

If there are people who feel challenged by the idea of the memorized deck... Don't be. Try it out. It definitely takes effort. But try Juan Tamariz's Mnemonica. He gives you 5 methods of memorizing the stack that he says allows an average person to memorize the stack in 3 hours. I believe him - it didn't take me that long. Three hours isn't a big commitment.

Also, to briefly weigh in on the debate about memorizing a deck as an effect - here's a thought. How about you teach your spectators to memorize a deck instead? That's my favourite take

On the subject of memorizing decks, I remember hearing a story about Stu Ungar challenging a casino owner in a memory contest. Stu memorized the order of a six-deck blackjack shoe and played it down to the last 3 decks playing the hands based off of what he knew what was coming next. He memorized them all in less than 6 minutes, too.

Just a fun fact I thought you'd be interested in.

 

[Jason Ladanye]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMWt3jVL7lU

 

[ChrisWiens]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMWt3jVL7lU

I have watched your videos on youtube. I`m impressed! Excellent performing style and great choice of material!