Aronson's book "Try the Impossible" has plenty of good routines, they really are nice.

Some are dependant on his arrangement so if you haven't learnt the Aronson Stack then maybe pass it by, other than that, get stuck in!

Past, Present and Future by Simon Aronson is the most impressive routine I perform by far. It has provoked the strongest reactions from spectators. The fortune telling theme of the trick accounts for all the actions necessary.

I don't think anyone mentioned this effect yet, but Steve Ehler's 3-Card Location in Las Vegas Kharma was the effect that made me go out and memorize a stack. I got the serious willies when I first experienced this AMAZING effect!
Ed

As long as we are talking about memorized deck effect, could anyone describe here Darwin Ortiz´s Zen Master (the effect, not the secret.. not? , seriously, just want to know the effect).

All the best magic,

Pablo Tejero

Pablo, do a search under my name and look for the 'scams & fantasies' thread. I posted a description of it then somebody else posted a more accurate one.

Thanks Adam, I will do that. Do you have Ortiz new book? Could it work for a beginner-medium cardician?

All the best magic,

Pablo Tejero

Back in 1979, Supreme put out an interesting publication called, "Mnemodexterity", by L. De Bevere.

This was certainly an unusual memory routine. You showed 26 alphabet cards in alphabetical order, and gave them a shuffle. After showing they're now in random order, you have one of the letter cards selected, and the remaining 25 cards are cut off by divided among 3 other audience members, who shuffle their packets. The 3 spectators call out the letters in their piles.

After this, there are 5 interesting phases:

1) After listening to the called out letters, the performer recalls which letter was NOT said, and thus which card the first spectator selected.

2) The performer then recalls the sequence of cards held by each of the latter 3 spectators.

3) The deck having been reassembled, the performer is now able to give the position in the deck for any letter, and the letter in the deck for any position.

4) Remarking about "fingertip memory", the performer demonstrates this by immediately cutting to any letter called for.

5) To finish, the performer rapidly cuts to a series of cards, spelling "Thank You" (or any other word or short sentence, which can even be topical).

Pablo,

Yes, it can be done by a beginner. All you need is to be able to do some simple calculations and you must have the memorisation down pat.

Thanks Adam for your comment, because I was thinking of buying this book. As long as everybody were posting that Zen Master was a great effect, I felt that I have to get it. I think that I will buy Darwin´s book... now!!!

All the best magic,

Pablo Tejero