Has anyone tried this card system? Does the stack look like a prearranged order? Is it really as easy to memorize as the ad claims? Can the location of each card really be determined without calculations?

It is extremely easy to memorize but the deck cannot be shown in a spread as it could clearly be seen to be in a certain order. Much better is Boris Wild's stacked deck - only simple arithmetic needed and could be spread.

Thanks for the reply.

I think I'll just use the Si Stebbins stack because I can do that with no memorization and a minimum of calculation. I can show the faces, too, if I keep the deck moving.

While I agree that Wild's system is an improvement over Lusthaus', I find it less "spreadable" than Si Stebbins. It has a strict suit rotation (like Stebbins), and very obvious numerical groups: 4-3-2-1, 5-4-3-2, 6-5-4-3, etc. (unlike Stebbins).

A much better solution (shameless plug) is "QuickStack", described in the book "Mindsights". The order is much more random (10H-5S-3C-KH-2S-9S-7C-QH-6S-AD-etc.), and the conversion (from position to value or vice versa) is significantly easier than Wild's, and *much* easier than Stebbins'.

Not just my opinion either; visit the Website (see below) and read the reviews.

... Doug

Thanks, Doug. Since your book was reviewed by two magicians that I know and have talked "shop" with, I think I'll have to order it.

I used to have a magic book in UK where a setup deck was ordered thus.. and uses the mnemonic beginning "Eight kings threatened to serve.." = 8 K 3 10 2 7

I still know the mnemonic off by heart but anyone know what is the name of this setup?

Hmmm... I've always called it the "Eight Kings" stack.

But right now I'm working with the Harding stack...

If you just need to know the next card up or down then the Si Stebbins or Eight Kings Stacks will work fine.

If you need to know the specific position of a card then forget any system where you have to do a calculation, no matter how simple, in performance.

Learn your system off by heart. You must know the positions automatically without thinking. MY choice is the Aronson stack because it has so many terrific extras built in

Quentin,


Seven of Diamonds ?

E-Leoni.

Well that would be position 42 in the Nikola System stack. I like the Nikola stack.

Paul S.

I know David Berglass used to genuinely shuffle a pack, then memorise the order (using Harry Lorrayn's mnemonic system, presumably) that way the "stack" is genuinely undetectable.

And it's #19 in the Harding stack.

And that would be #20 in QuickStack (with fewer cognitive steps than any of the other algorithmic stacks).

... Doug

Although I once learned the Nikola System, the best stack, to me, is a truly shuffled deck that you then memorise.

The deck can be shown freely because there is nothing to hide - it really is in random sequence.

I know that memorising a deck puts many magicians off, but we're only talking about 52 items here - a mere nothing compared to the number of items you already know.

You can either use a mnemonic system, or you can simply learn it by rote. All that matters is that you know which card is in which position and which position each card is in.

I really don't see that this is any more difficult than learning one of the many "rules-based" systems, which usually have some exception(s) that still have to be learned.

I know that the Aronson stack is very popular, but, in my experience in the UK, poker deals mean nothing to most laymen (unless, of course, they play poker), so all of the built-in effects of this nature don't add anything.

So, in conclusion, shuffle a deck, memorise it (well- there are "tests" you can copy and use on my website which got a good review in The Linking Ring some time ago) and then devour some of the better books that contain stacked deck magic, such as anything by Simon Aronson or "Workers #5" by Michael Close.

And it's #3 in the Tamariz stack (with just one step - #3 = 7D!)

-Scott

Check out Charles Gauci's material. He has a very simple but effective system that works without any sweat or mental acrobats on the part of the performer.

The system is outlined with a couple of great routines in the lecture notes 'Reputation Makers'.

Since people of different levels read this forum, this may help a little. IMO, the Lusthaus System really is the easiest for the rank beginner to learn, literally in just a few minutes. But yes, there are significant limitations. For anyone else, I highly recommend Doug Dyment's MINDSIGHT'S. The book is loaded with other things so good, I'm sorry he gave them away!

rb

I agree check Doug Dyment's work.
I think you will like it.

ENjoy!
Rex