Thanks a lot. Just can't view the topic yet until I hit 50 posts. Ho-hum, I'll have to think of more inane witterings to say now!

Swami predicts you will be in the Secret Sessions in a very short time.

I think you may be right. That's another one down!

Actually, very short posts like your last one, may not add to your count! Posts like "thanks" or "good idea" do not usually advance the counter. In the meantime, do a search for "rosary", etc.

Stackview is invaluable for creating a new stack or manipulating one already in use. It could save you hundreds of hours of experimentation.

Hey Memdeck...
Thank you sooooo much, and thanks to all those that came before you...

Tamariz is in my head... and, it feels like it's here to stay... it only took me about 4 hours... and of course... some daily follow up.

The fact is... I've memorized this stack three times before... and it just never stuck.

I can't picture the 6 of hearts, without thinking New Mexico Hash...
I can't picture the 32, without thinking Mean DJ or... Jack of Diamonds...

very useful...

Stack View is great, that's what I've been using to try and construct my own stack so far. It's also good for analysing shuffle patterns, the only annoying thing about it is you can't set the riffle shuffles to be exactly half deck portions, or at least I can't figure out how to do so. So I can't try and work out gilbreathian patterns with it.

Scody, I'm glad to be of service.... It's always nice when something useful appears at the same time the mind is receptive.

ThePreeningNinny, I'll bet Nick can point you in the right direction. Here is a link to his email address:

http://www.stackview.com/contact.html

For me, it was easier to simply memorize the deck than to memorize what letter went with each number, then what word used each letter, then what word went with each card, then an association between each number and its corresponding card. It was much easier, for me, to simply remember: 1=Card, 2=card, etc. I was able to do that in a couple of days.

As Martin Joyal points out in The Six-Hour Memorized Deck, the mnemonic system described above requires you to memorize 104 mnemonic words & 52 associations / pictures. Joyal's stack uses 14 rules rather than mnemonic words and associations. I was able to memorize it in about 3 hours. (However, I should mention that I grew up in a church and a Christian school where I was required to regularly memorize large and quite long passages of Scripture, and thus, I had a very strong "rote memory" ability from habit and exercise.) With the Joyal method, as well as with the mnemonic method, eventually all the extra stuff (rules, word associations, whatever) just fall by the wayside, and you simply know what card is at which number and vice versa without having to call up the memory aids to get to that.

Regarding the technique mentioned above that Michael Close used... I learned to do that as well after reading the Workers books. Before I took a 5 year layoff from magic, I got scary-good at estimation. I very rarely missed by more than one card and was spot-on much of the time. The nice thing about estimation is that it doesn't require any digital dexterity. The bad thing about it is that it requires just as much practice as a really difficult sleight! But, combined with a memdeck, estimation is extremely powerful. A very basic, but very strong application: You're performing for a married couple. After a few shuffles (false) and cuts, you ask him to name any card in the deck. Then you ask her for any number between 1 and 52. A pass (or double undercut), and you hand the deck to him, asking him to deal down to her number, where he finds his card. STRONG!

Hey Scott, nice sig! I agree that rote memory is the best way for SOME. But, whatever you do, don't let HL find out!!! (kidding).

Estimation, in combination with a memdeck is killer! One tip is to practice with a deck in the same condition as a performance deck. Over time, my decks grow "fatter" with use.

As do I!

In another thread, Harry says his students can have a whole deck memorized in minutes. I can't do that with rote memory. I can do, maybe, a quarter up to half the deck, but not the whole thing--not in minutes. In an hour or so, maybe. But I wouldn't retain it after a day or two.

Just out of curiosity, Harry (you know I'm a big fan of yours and that I believe your statement): When your students memorize a deck in a few minutes, is that just for say, one memory demonstration? In other words, would they retain the memorized order and be able to, say a week or a month later, be able to nail any card or any position and do the many many memdeck effects in the literature? Or would they have to "re-memorize" the order? Because if it's the former, that would be invaluable to a working pro!

I'm not trying to be a wise guy, honest. Just wondering. If they CAN retain it, is that something that's in one of your books, or is it something one would enroll in or set up with you on a special basis?