Hey guys, what are your favorite ways to get into stack, after they had shuffled the cards?

Or ways to give the sensation of disorder?

My favorite way to get into the stack is doing a deck switch. You can start a routine where they really shuffe the cards, in these scenario I like the job sharing shuffle because reinforces the picture of cards beeing shuffled, otherwise later less people will remember that, then you do an effect where you put the cards in pocket , for example Simon Aronson - Shuffle Tracking or Bait and Switch, bring the stack back, do an effect with the stack that keeps the order or that it's easy to get back in order and finish with an effect that destroys the stack. A set that I did:

Simon Aronson - Double Ment ( Art Decko )
Simon Aronson - Shuffe Tracking ( Art Decko)
Simon Aronson - The Invisible Card ( Try the Impossible)
Simon Aronson - Everybody's Lazy ( Simply Simon)

Another option that I like is maintain the stack but give the sensation of disorder, for example this set:

Darwin Ortiz -Last Laugh
Dai Vernon - Triumph
Simon Aronson - The Aronson Stack ''makes good'' (Art Decko)
Simon Aronson - Suffle-Bored

In this example I start with the deck in order,then do Triumph for give the sensation of caos/disorder, it's a perfect trick for that, but I keep the order, do another effect with the stack and destroy the order with the last effect but I bring back the picture of caos.

Another variation of the first set is putting a non card effect in the middle, example:

Simon Aronson - Prior Commitment
Simon Aronson - Double-Ment
Non Card Effect
Simon Aronson - The Invisible Card
Simon Aronson - Everybody's Lazy

In this set, after I finish Prior Commitment, I put the jokers (with the numbers on back) aside on table , they shuffe the cards on next effect Double Ment, when I finish this effect I place the jokers on the face of the deck and put the two hands on pockets searching for the card box with an attitude of '' ok enough card tricks, let me show you something very special...'' I switch the deck but on that deck there are also jokers on the face too and with numbers on back, I don't call attention to it , just put deck on box leave deck on table inside box. Do the non card effect and destroy them with the last two effects. When I take the deck from box, I put the jokers aside with the numbers on back, so, nothing have changed and on the next two routines we can remember them that they shuffle the cards before,without overprooving.

So in resume, the problem with Subtle Game an most of the routines used to bring the stack back in order is that they are boring. Counting or sorting out piles of cards, unless you have a good answer for the question '' Why should they care?'' it's not good. Here I have very strong effects and THEY FEEL that they shuffle the cards. In capital letters, because that's one of the most importante things, what THEY FEEL.

What about you?

While I have prepared set that involve switching decks (either with non-card effects in between or using routines that hide the deck switch during an effect), I am often called upon to perform when I only have one deck available to me. In those circumstances, I like to start with a strong effect that catches their attention and doesn't disturb the stack or make use of it in any way. I will then often do a non-stack effect that gives the feeling of the cards being mixed. I then do a stack/mem deck effect or two, and then end with a strong effect worthy of destroying the stack (Ehler's 3 card location is one such example, as is my Tamariz version of Prediction Shuffle-Bored).

I keep a list of many non-stack effects I do when I find ways to perform them that do not disturb stack order. Amazing as it sounds, many of the effects I already do will give the appearance of shuffling but not actually mix the cards (e.g. Carey's Searching for a Sandwich, John G's Blackjack Transpo/Be Honest What is It effect, Christ's Fabulous Four Ace Effect, Michael Vincent's Brainwave My Way, Prior Commitment, Tut Tut by Michael Close, Double Mind Reading Deck from Eric Richardson, and many, many others do not disturb the stack).

Also, I have become somewhat fond of a routine from Lessons in Card Mastery by Darwin Ortiz called Billion Dollar Brain that lets them shuffle the cards into a complete mess, but ends with the stack restored. It is the kind of effect that would end a set, so if you need a buster that seems to destroy a stack, but gives you instant reset, this would be one to look into.

There's just so many great ways to go about it! Great thoughts, Helder!

I use several different deck switches from the great book: The Art of Switching Decks by Roberto Giobbi, Hermetic Press. https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/magic/......g-decks/

Apocolypse Vol. 3 No. 1 Jan. 1980 has a great idea for a deck switch by Max Maven.
Currently using it to get into Sam the Bellhop from a spectator shuffled deck.

Is it Matswitch by Phil Goldstein, page 292?

I use deck switches. My memdeck is not mathematical in a way that can be assembled on the fly. Although I do a "psychic" stunt that assembles the deck from NDO without the specs realizing they did that work for me. I don't do it often though, because if someone sees it often enough, they will become aware of the reasoning behind it.

I like to start in Mem Deck order and do a Simple card divination with cards shuffled twice face up face down. At the end. The cards have been put back in order. Hardly ever use a full stack though. If you use half stack. You can have people shuffle certain cards as much as they like while retaining your half stack. Full riffle shuffles can be undone very quickly while supposedly looking for a card.

I think the entertainment value of A Subtle Game is
seriously underrated and underexplored.

I think you are right there. They do say any trick can be entertaining. It's how you present it. I have never performed A Subtle Game but can imagine it could be quite an amazing finale with all four people left with only one card each.

A easy/great way to Getting Into Stack:

http://themagicwarehouse.com/TB2742/Flas......Lim.html [Flash Deck Switch 2.0]

Nice ideas here on these dvds:

http://youtu.be/sf97H_HlWwc

and here:

http://youtu.be/3jgqAQiEXbk


Helder

I stopped doing deck switches (it worked very well so far, but it is not my cup of tea anymore).

I specifically hand out the deck first thing in my performance and let the spectators shuffle the deck. After one or two "easy" effects I start setting up the deck. Juan Tamariz as given several ideas for that. Packing it into a routine is a wonderful idea! Tamariz's routines for that are my back up. You can build the idea in any routine (after some thinking). If you can entertain by talking and by involving the audience, it doesn't matter, if the routine takes a little longer. I also love the principle of shuffling the deck, while actually setting it up.

Several routines for wich I needed a deck switch are "impromptu" routines now.

Like this, you can hand the deck out several times during the show. I think, that's something the audience remember. The miracles happend, althoug they shuffled the deck again and again (and a deck switch is impossible as a possible explanation, because several cards in the deck are signed)

As I mentioned before, in Juan Tamariz's Book "Mnemonica" are countless variations and ideas to set it up. Not to forget ideas and techniques from Lennart Green.