Simon Aronson has released a lot of material on effects that have been discovered/built into the arrangement of the cards (see Try The Impossible, Bound To Please, and his web site). I was wondering what effects from these sources or others people are actually using in performances. Ofcourse the Triple Poker routine and Spelling sequnce have been talked about alot. I am curious about the other routines.

I know many on this forum have expressed their opinions that these built in effects are not as strong some mem deck routines. I acknowledge those opinions. So laying that aside, what are your thoughts?

I personally use:

Prediction Shuffle-bored
Matching the cards
Plunger Lie Detector
Truth-Sayer
Mind-reading deck (part 7)

My thoughts are that the built in features aren't something I would be interested in using myself. I do like spelling effects and poker effects, but I cannot use the English spelling here and I have another impromptu poker effect I happen to prefer over the built in one. And I don't know anyone unfortunately, who would be able to recognize a perfect Bridge hand if they saw it, or an imperfect one for that matter.

I picked the Aronson Stack because there was no way of understanding the built in features of the different stacks without buying a book and getting into one of them. By the time I figured out that non of the built in features were really for me, I had already completely memorized the stack.

I am still very happy with it! Knowing a published stack order instead of making up one independently makes it easy to follow along different effects in books. And the stack looks nice and shuffled. I don't know any other stacks that have any other features I would especially want to use either. For that I would have to make up my own order to incorporate something that would fit me. But I am probably years away from knowing what feature would be the one I would really like to have built into a stack.

For me (so far) the strength of a memorized deck is simply its Open Index possibilities. I know where everything is and I can find any card mentioned fairly quickly and invisibly.

I have just learned the aronson's stack this week! man it was a fun week. I have ordered Try the impossible from Aronson's website, and it probably won't arrive for another couple of weeks. At the moment I am all stacked up with no tricks to do ( except for the obvious cut to a card and then name the next card effect). Would it be improper for me to ask for some assistance in learning how to use one of the built in effects, that I could work on, while I wait for the book to arrive?

Ceck out simonaronson.com You can learn several effects that depend on the features of the deck.

Cool thanks. I didn't see the pages with the gemini handling the first time I went there, I found it now thanks!

Yhea, there are several great things there. Josh Jay's Lie Detector is a fun routine too. I also use Norman Beck's Matching The Cards all the time. It is worth a look.

The original question was:

First, I do Gene Anderson's routine for the Si Stebbins stack, but with the Aronson stack instead. I often use my own: Kruskal a al Aronson (Described on my web site and on Simon's) The Birthday Book routine, and Histed Heisted. I also use the AS often just to force specific cards I need to force for things like the Wire-Gram effect, Infantastic, etc. When I have more time I use the complete three phase poker deal with a few of my own refinements. (Also described on my Web Site and on Simon's.) I ask people if they play cards (not too many do, today) and when there is a bridge player, I do Simon's Bridge hand deal, and if someone mentions Texas Hold-um I use Sterling's Dares discovery with the AS. (On my web site.)

Dennis Loomis

Hi Dennis,

Have you ever used any of the other routines, like Truth-Sayer etc. from Try The Impossible?

What do you think of the Mind Reading Deck routines?

To stax,
Oh my goodness... over the past 11 or 12 years that I've been working with the Aronson Stack, I've done so many other things. But as a performing magician, I'm mostly a stand up performer. That means most of my close up is impromptu and in today's world has to be fairly short or fast hitting. Many memdeck routines are a little long. (Histed Heisted is very long, but I use that in stand up shows for adults.) If you really want to know many mem-deck effects I've done, look at the 22 articles I've writtenon the subject. They are collected on my web site and there is no charge. The URL is below, and when you get to the site, click on the link "Memorized Deck Magic" at the top of the home page.

One favorite of mine that I didn't mention is the Birthday Book. My routine is similar to Mike Close's and Simon's versions, and when I have the book with me, I do it often.

Dennis Loomis

Xclnt post Dennis, he kindly offers his interpretation of varios effects.

It's free so why not take advantage of it? He has some good ideas. Great stuff.

Thanks Dennis,
edh

My favorite factor in the Aronson stack is that if they name a card, and you realize it's in any position from 10 to 15, you can spell that card, and it the last card dealt will be that card!

Allan Ackerman thinks that you can find at least several cards that spell consecutively in any stack or even a random shuffle. I bet he's right. Aronson's stack has a very nice built in set.

I just started reading Try the Impossible, and it is great! so clearly written, and detailed in every way. I memorized the stack, just for the heck of it, without knowing it's real power. I am so glad I did, as now with every page turn, I get giddy with excitement as I discover the things I can do with this. I may have jumped ahead of myself by choosing this book first though, it is strong in built in, and not heavy in mem-deck effects.

What would be the Best book to get next, I would like to learn more mem deck effects too.

Bound to Please by Simon Aronson is a great place to start. You might as well get all of his books. Check out his website: simonaronson.com for his free lecture notes. This will be very useful to you.

I agree with stax... Bound to Please is your best bet. It has all of the effects which are built into the Aronson stack explained in Simon's typical crystal clear and detailed manner. But there's so much more. And yes, you should eventually get all of Simon's books if you are going to continue to pursue the Aronson Stack.

But, also of great value will be Juan Tamariz' Mnemonica. Tamariz has a very different writing style, and sometimes he just points the way to some great stuff. While there are many effects designed for his stack, there is plenty of material which will work with any mem-deck. And his thoughts on getting into the stack, his tricks with the half-stack, his work on Faros and Anti-Faros is wonderful. Some of the effects which are designed to work with the Mnemonica stack can be reworked to use with the Aronson Stack, or other mem-deck effects. There are two or three examples of that on my web site. In particular, work through Kruskal ala Aronson.

And, you will want to get the books or DVDs of Mike Close, another great performer and thinker who works with the Aronson Stack.

And, before you spend all that money, go to Simon's web site and mine and look over all of the FREE routines just there for the taking.

Dennis Loomis

Dennis's site is a great resource! Also check out stackview.com.

Thanks gents, I will make full use of the info on your site Dennis, and Bound to Please is next on my radar. I am so glad I started down this road, great fun!

"Histed Heisted" slays laypeeps and magicians alike. It is, in my very humble opinion, the most amazing effect with a memorized stack.

Also, for another killer (and much shorter routine) check out "Tribute to Dunninger" in James Swain's "21st Century Card Magic". He describes it using a Si Stebbins stack, but I do it with the memorized stack. Easier, as there are no number calculations to be made.

Tribute to Dunniger is great. I agree.

Allan Ackerman's Ungaffed Ted is a real stunner.

Back to the theme of this thread: Does anyone out there perform Aronson's Mind Reading Deck, or other built in effects from his Try the Impossible, etc? If so, how are the reactions?

I just received "Bound to Please" and it fills in the blank that existed between the other Simon Aronson books that I own. (i.e., "Try the Impossible", The Aronson Approach" and "Simply Simon")

I am just getting into "Bound to Please" and am really happy with it. Frankly, I purchased the book primarily for "Histed Heisted" but there is so much more in this book. As with the other Aronson books, I am going to have lots of thought-provoking sessions with this "Bound to Please" book.