I can't believe there are no reviews for this booklet...

https://www.deceptionary.com/tricyclic.html

First, I must say that I have pretty much the entire collection of booklets from Doug Dyment. I have an archive of things (books, booklets, props, notes, etc) that I call "Elite", which is where I put the very best material... and my collection of Doug Dyment's booklets belongs there. His booklets has wonderful ideas, no fillers and even stand out ideas that are pretty much unsurpassed. Several years ago, I would keep my mouth shut about things like this (selfish thinking uh?), but if something is that much good, then the author deserves to be as successful as possible with the release. If I had to elect a top mentalist who's ideas I wouldn't perform without, I couldn't elect one... but Doug Dyment would be disputing the first place for sure. His passion for the art and to make it better is also evident from all the free information he gives in his website to make you grow as a performer and even as a person. Also, I have to be honest and say that I don't use all of his ideas and there are things from his booklets not fitting my style or, that I think other author's ideas are better for some reason. I'm not a biased reviewer in any way. This is an absolutely honest and spontaneous review. Having said that, I'll proceed with the review:

Dao Cycle - It's a stack o playing cards. Imagine a cyclical stack as easy to determine the next card as the "si stebbins", but with a random look when the cards are displayed face up. Enough said. Depending on your knowledge it can be a simple tool, or a devastating weapon. The most experienced performers surely had a huge smile or a devious stare when they first saw it. It instantly became a permanent weapon in my arsenal. When you know what can be achieved with a tool of this criteria, this becomes the kind of thing that can make an amateur hobbyist look like an absolute master. Doug Dyment has many ideas who are pretty much unsurpassed, but if I had to elect his greatest achievement, I would vote for Dao Stack. There's also some nice ideas in the supplement section for this booklet in his website.

The name "Dao" meaning in the author's own words:



PokerFace - It's a sequence of card divinations with no peek involved, getting harder and more impossible looking with each phase. The method here makes the Dao Stack be the "go to" choice. This goes nicely to fool the so very smart spectator, who will find no solution to how it is achieved. Magicians who don't know the "key" here may also scratch their heads, as I don't think this could be achieved with a memorized deck (or it wouldn't be 100% surefire). I'm not sure if it could be achieved with other random looking stacks out there. This effect almost seem born to be done with the Dao Stack... once you know the stack and the method here, you clearly see why.

ChromESP Cycle - A stack with colored ESP cards. This can be a nice combo for whoever has "Ben Blau's project" and to whoever wants to add new dimensions to ESP cards.

The de Zener Cycle - It's a stack using standard black ESP cards. I must say that the method here became obsolete after Doug Dyment's "The Zenith Stack" from his booklet "Idiopraxis", because it pretty much did to the ESP deck what the Dao Stack did to playing cards. I don't think ESP cards can be as good as playing cards to things like a stack, but there's an aspect here (the repeated cards) who makes a "blindfolded sense" routine be unsurpassed compared even to playing cards, as the repetition almost negates the possibility of a stack.

Cover Illusion - Talks about the illusion on the cover. I had a nice idea to use it in a routine, using it to add a dual reality (hiding something with the finger) phase that also serves to create false memories. If you're creative, you will find this interesting and even add this idea to a routine.

PokerPlay - This to me is the second stand out in this booklet. It's a routine using 10 cards where spectator makes unambiguous decisions and yet your hand will beat his hand like a straight flush beats a full house. Each phase here is addressed with autonomy of logical process and gets more unfair towards the performer, who will, no matter what, be the winner. The participant will even be able to get or give cards face up... and will lose. It's ingenious. As awesome as it sounds, the supplement section from Dyment's website will give you more awesome ideas to it. Two ideas there in particular makes this shine like a sun. It's fun to perform and it's easy to reset. I've seem similar things out there, but this one is my personal choice up to this point. Awesome to say the least.

Tick Tock Too - Doug Dyment's take in clocking the deck, with some very good references. It will take effort from the part of the performer to get this in good speed, but this have been optimized by Doug.

The Silk Load - It's a nice way to get cards loaded in the deck. The method here will be particularly appealing to cartomantic readers. Doug will give you a direction of where to get the material, but you could go for customized things here.


My final words: I would gladly pay the double of the price of this booklet just for the Dao Stack. This booklet gets my highest recommendation, particularly for mentalists who use playing cards.

Max Hazy

Are there any advantages to the Dao stack over a memdeck such as mnemonica?

I think Dao, Mnemonica, Si stebbins, etc... each have it's own strength and weakness.

It takes about 2 weeks (or more) to learn mnemonica and it needs some constant "in touch" to not be forgotten. To some, that's a tremendous disadvantage. Dao on the other hand can be learned in minutes. In fact, after you read what the system is... you already learned it... and I doubt it could be forgotten. It's instantaneous, very intuitive. That and the PokerFace effect are two examples of advantages of Dao over Mnemonica. However, there are TONS of things to be done with Mnemonica that cannot be done with Dao. Really, there's no comparison of potential of the two. Mnemonica is far superior for what it achieves. But faros are another thing some people don't like, and Mnemonica's full potential needs faros...

Personally, I would say this: If you don't want to measure efforts to reach what can be achieved with Mnemonica, it's far superior in many ways. If all you need is know the order of the deck, with a random looking, Dao is the way to go. The performer would have to measure what better fits his needs/criteria.

Max

Thanks for your useful review, Max. Your briefest affirmation, of "ChromESP," deserves additional comment.

Your perform the effect with a five-color ESP deck, i. e., your five circle cards are in different colors, etc. It takes some learning, and periodic review, but the "card calling" type effect is a stunner for audiences. And no one would ever reverse-engineer the method; many (if not most) never suspect the existence of a method.

George

George, I couldn't have said better myself. Absolutely agreed! I haven't used colored ESP cards up to this point because pretty much anything that goes for playing cards could go for them as well, so I tried to focus on adding information without repeating myself while reviewing. Several miracles can be done with those tools, but only the performer's knowledge would bring it to good use. I have fooled several pro magicians using the Dao Stack, yet I'm pretty sure some people would just use it to divine picked cards. As I said, it can be a tool... or a devastating weapon.

Max Hazy

Thanks.
I have mnemonica down cold and also can do perfect faros. I may check out Dao at some point anyway.

Honestly, if you're using Mnemonica to it's full potential and intend to get this just for the Dao, I don't think you would benefit much. Personally, I don't do faros anymore, as I think it's something pointing to a high level of skill with the hands (something I don't want people to suspect). But again, each of us will have different needs and criteria.

Max

If done without much fanfare, I think faros can be less 'skillful' looking than a riffle and bridge, but generally I agree and I only do a haymow/charlier or a !@#$* overhand when performing formally anyway.

But in impromptu situation should I be starting with a fresh deck, it's nice to be able to do the set up relatively quickly.

Anyway, not intending to derail. Dao stack sounds good. I wish I had learned it years ago when I was using the BCS.