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JohnWells Inner circle The Southern Wild 1791 Posts |
The stacked deck is the single most powerful weapon I have with cards. I have used it in every professional performance I've ever given except two, and most of my impromptu work. Several years ago, I memorised the BCS because my brain doesn't cope well with numbers. It was was substantively easier simply to memorize the order. Later, I learned the stack positions, and the mem deck took its prized place in my tool box.
In July I suffered a mild stroke. Except for my second deal and my memory, I've fully recovered. I still have the BCS memorized, but my processing speed is not what it was. After discovering the Joyal stack, I found the rule based method more effective for my post-brain-zap needs, and mastered the rules well enough to effectively use the stack, but I wanted more. I find knowing the stack as a sequence is as important as knowing it as a set of card to position relationships. Because I use it as a cyclic stack as well, avoiding performing two operations (identifying the stack number of one card and determining the next card) is preferable. It's extra work, and I felt sure there was an easier way than learning the joyal stack as I had the bcs. In my recent correspondence with Doug Dyment, I've found him to be gracious, generous, and very, very intelligent. He is well adjusted for an engineer. Knowing of his quicker stack, I immediately placed an order. As I suspected, it was precisely what I was looking for. The process of learning to calculate the stack positions was the work of a half hour, and the longer process of memorizing the stack (where no such calculation is necessary-you just know) was the work of less than two hours over a couple of days. I had proficiency in a half hour, mastery in less than three hours. The low price of the buy in ($18) and the limited investment of time and effort (less than needed to master a jog shuffle) makes this a tool for which there is no excuse not to have it in your arsenal. This is one of the most powerful tools out there, and it requires so little of you to make it yours. I urge you to buy it, to master, and to use it. You will thank me, perhaps, but you will hold yourself indebted to Doug. He has a knack for finding the best way to do anything, and making that information accessible and usable. That is a most rare gift. I hope you will take advantage of it. |
RicHeka Inner circle 3999 Posts |
I totally agree about QuickerStack. Glad you are feeling better John.
Rich |
dand243 New user 50 Posts |
I remember when I first learned about stacked decks, I thought I discovered the biggest secret it magic. it opened up a whole world of ideas and effects. needless the say I love using stacked decks as well.
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JohnWells Inner circle The Southern Wild 1791 Posts |
Now, I failed to note that the quickerstack material, and much more, is available in Doug's Mindsites, also available at deceptionary.com. My needs were specific, so I was more than content to purchase the stack only, but I encourage you to take advantage of the bargain available in purchasing mindsites.
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SubconsciousSymbols Loyal user Bristol, UK 250 Posts |
OOO! 8) I am awaiting the arrival of 'Zenermancy' by Doug and I just keep hearing more and more about his excellent methods and teaching style. I am literally chomping at the bit here and checking the post box religiously every morning and afternoon. My friend has one of his booklets and is teasing me with a bit by bit review as he reads it.
I do not use a mem s***k at the moment and have resorted to 8 K when I do want to use one but am never really happy with it. I am lacking the extra opportunities available when a s***k is m*******d. Oh well looks like Doug will be getting some more of my money when the taxman allows it. I will put up a review of 'Zenermancy' In penny after receiving, digesting and performing it. Asher
'The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious'
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JohnWells Inner circle The Southern Wild 1791 Posts |
Correction: the larger text wherein Quickerstack may be found is Mindsights. Mea culpa.
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ddyment Inner circle Gibsons, BC, Canada 2499 Posts |
Thanks very much to John for his extremely kind review of "QuickerStack". I'm always delighted to hear from another satisfied user!
Just to make it clear for those who might be confused (and I know there's at least one of you), my name is commonly associated with two different full-deck playing card stacks, and they shouldn't be confused. The "DAO" stack (from my book, "Tricyclic") is a sequential/cyclic stack, in the vein of Si Stebbins, Eight Kings, BCS, and many others (though with what many consider significant improvements over these older designs). One could always memorize it, of course (as you could with any sequential stack, using standard mnemonic techniques), but it offers no particular advantages in that regard. As a sequential stack, though, it is extremely easy to learn and use (and random enough to have stumped Eugene Burger, even when told that it was a stack)! "QuickerStack", as reviewed by John (from my book, "Mindsights", and also available separately) is an algorithmic stack designed for memorized deck work (where you instantly know the identity of the card at any position, and vice versa). It is more work to learn (though as John, noted, not all that difficult), but offers the additional advantages afforded by a mem deck. If any of this seems confusing, you might benefit from my (free) on-line essay on full-deck stacks, which offers much detail on these topics.
The Deceptionary :: Elegant, Literate, Contemporary Mentalism ... and More :: (order "Calculated Thoughts" from Vanishing Inc.)
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theinternetguru Elite user I hacked the Café but I still only have 426 Posts |
Having a stack that looks natural but allows for algorithmic computation means that you can memorize this quickly and have a fallback approach in case you blank out on a card's precise location mid-routine. Nice work on this, Doug. I am very impressed with what you've done here. The manual is packed with hints to assist in memorizing the stack, and is easy to follow.
I highly recommend this if you are looking to get into memorized deck effects. |
Sean Giles Inner circle Cambridge/ UK 3517 Posts |
Thanks for the assessment John. I Ordered Mindsights last week and Iook forward to checking this stack out. If its easier to memorise than the Joyal stack then that's really saying something cause that's by far the easiest method I've come across. I don't own any of Dougs work yet but I've heard nothing but good things about it so I'm looking forward to receiving this very much.
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Bill Hallahan Inner circle New Hampshire 3222 Posts |
I just received Mindsights in the mail yesterday, and after scanning the index, I went immediately to the chapter that contains QuickerStack.
Years ago, I memorized the Aronson Stack, and I've used it in most performances since then. I know that stack cold. The Aronson Stack a lot of built-in features, so I should explain why I was interested in QuickerStack. First, I was curious. I read on Doug Dyment's website that QuickerStack makes the card-to-number and number-to-card mapping very simple. I wanted to understand how that was achieved. Ideas in one area of magic can often be applied to other methods/routines. Second, I wanted to be able to perform a certain memorized deck routine simultaneously with two participants and two decks, and I didn't want each deck to have the cards in the same order. QuickerStack turned out to be even easier than I expected. The method is quite brilliant; it's brilliant because it's relatively simple. And, as advertised, it took me less than 30 minutes to learn the calculation necessary to get either from card-to-number or number-to-card! I think it probably took only about 10 or 15 minutes to read the chapter. Doug Dyment's explanation of the method is clear, concise, and memorable. Eventually I will have the card-number mappings memorized in both directions, but for now, given a card or a number, I can easily do the necessary calculation in just a few seconds. If you struggle with learning a memorized deck, or you want to learn another memorized deck, get this. It will take some work, but I can't imagine how the stack calculations could be made any easier. I highly recommended this.
Humans make life so interesting. Do you know that in a universe so full of wonders, they have managed to create boredom. Quite astonishing.
- The character of ‘Death’ in the movie "Hogswatch" |
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