Hey john...if you were using mnemonics anyway, why havent you memorized the aronson or Tamariz stack? just curious, nothing wrong with the BCS

I don't really need another stack. The BCS works quite well, and, I must confess, there is something intellectually satisfying about using an order inherent in the structure of the pack itself. That has no impact on its useability whatsoever, but it amuses me.

I have learnt the Aronson system through creating my own peg system.I also use B.C.S from time to time when I just need to know either the card above or below.

However when the heat is on (such as when performing an effect such as Histed Heisted) I revert to the HARDIN STACK which is perfect for both tarot and a normal deck of cards. After a slight tinkering (for normal cards only that is) one ends up with an examinable memory stack that is even easier to use in live performance than even the B.C.S.

I know of no better stack.It always makes me smile now when magicians speak of other stacks.

I didn't use any kind of Mnemonic Methods, I don't like them at all. Maybe they'll be very useful for someone else. Too many students here in Brazil use Mnemonic Methods to learn by heart the periodic table. Any way, it depends on you. See you!!!

Mnemonics can help to first learn the stack. I straight up memorized the deck, no aids. You will find if you use Mnemonics that after awhile you are no longer using your peg words but simply recalling the stack and the number of each card. Meaning Mnemonics are helpful in learning the stack cold but once that's accomplished you won't need it anymore.

This is related to what Denis had said, I mainly used mnemonics to memorize the deck in order to actually try using mnemonics for *something* (I had long read about them). I ended up coming up with my own approach but at the core its mnemonics and it WAS fun. Soon after I just relied on memory for the stack and not mnemonics. Since then though I had a chance to use mnemonics (number pegs to be specific) in some tricks that require you memorize a list of numbered items (I will not name the tricks themselves - since its usually the secret). Having said that , I did not find them as generically useful as of the hype I read but then again I had ironically learned them as I was finishing my last course of grad school

I have to agree with greydonthemagician.
I learnt the Nicola stack using Mnemonics
but after a short while you get to know the stack well and then forget the mnemonics. I certainly can't remember the mnemonic system that I used to learn the stack.

Michael J

Like most things in life, it all depends on YOU. Some can master a classic pass in a few weeks, others may never master it in a lifetime. People have physical differences just as they have mental differences. In this particular instance, some people can easily commit a list of items to memory, others always tend to forget things no matter what (unless they train themselves to have a better memory).

I use the Aronson Stack and I committed this to memory through brute force (actually for me it wasn't too rough!) I use the Stack a lot in my professional work so I am always on top of it. For me, learning mnemonics to remember something else seemed like an unnecessary two step process.

For others it may be the key to success.

My point? Do what suits you best.

(BTW, anyone looking to improve their memory would be doing themselves a huge favour by reading HL's books).