I want to learn a stack but haven't started to yet, since I'm not sure where to start, Aaronson, Tamariz? But still what happened last night was just priceless. I had just learned how to calculate positons in the Si Stebbins, as sort of something I could do that at least has a tiny tiny connection to a memorised stack, before working on really memorising a stack. Anyways I had a Si Stebbins in hands, knew the bottom card (JS). I was waiting for the subway with some people, one of which didn't have the slightest idea I did magic. When he saw the cards, I told him to name any, as I wanted to just jazz, and see what I can come up with. He named the JS... I slowly turned the deck over... Some impact, but unfortunately I sort of ruined the magic by being too surprised and laughing, turning it into mere luck. He wasn't prepared for magic as I didn't present it properly. Something learned.
Today I had a colleage cut exactly to his card, without any adjustments. My colleagues sometimes now just shake their heads smiling when I pull something like this, but I know they're impressed. I really want to learn a stack now.

I play jazz with the stack (Aronson) a lot. Really a lot. I can tell tales of miracles and tales of disaster. Here was a good one from a couple of weeks ago:

Card is named. I ask for a cut a little more than half. Lady cuts a little less than half and I am 8 cards away. I ask someone else for a number between 1 and 10. He says 6. I have the talon picked up from the table and placed on my hand. Then I ask that 6 cards be slowly removed from the top one by one. What was that card again? (Four of Diamonds) A double turnover reveals the 4D and it's a strong effect.

NOW--another person asks out of the blue, what if she'd said a different card, like the King of Hearts? (Those that know Aronson will recognize that the KH is the f/u card under the f/u 4D after the double turnover.) I try not to laugh, slowly turn the double back down, blow on it and turn over the KH.

(And the crowd goes wild.)

SWN

Very cool SWN!

The Lazy Man's Card Trick concept in that book has turned into my current memdeck favorite. I haven't really warmed up to the multiple deck work in the book, but 'Lazy Man' is proving an extraordinary starting point for jazzing.

Although I do need to find better ways of forcing numbers, especially 24, which comes up a lot. All in all I would love more ideas about what to do with the setup. So far I've more or less only tried the Stop-trick or cutting in order to let the spectator count down to his number, or turn the top card over.

I get into it (after doing a few other things first) by openly counting the right number of cards to the table for the setup and then changing my mind about what trick to do. I scoop them all up and say "no, hang on, let's try this first"... Then a false shuffle before handing them the cards. For me that seems better than to stealthily run that many single cards in different series.

But I need to develop more improv ideas for the effect. I cannot think of anything really original. Only lucky numbers and birthdays and such things.

I asked someone to name any card, 7S was named (37 in Tamariz).
I asked someone else to name a number and 37 was named.

I stopped there.

Tony,

Nice to see a mention of Eric Mead's excellent Tangled Web. In my opinion one of the best books about HOW to think about what we do as magicians ever written.

Noobini,

I have had the greatest success using mem decks in gambling "demonstrations". I am writing this because you had mentioned that mem deck effects play weaker for you than impromptu effects. Trust me, do a couple of impromptus, switch in your mem deck - Aronson's effect Bait and Switch is SO lovely to do this - and go into the built in poker deals in the stack. You will SLAY your audiences.

All,

It wasn't my intention to hijack the thread. I just felt compelled to make those comments. Thanks!

Ahimsa,
Vlad

Great stories guys... I've been using the Tamariz stack for the last year now and it's completly changed my card magic. Also due to the structure of the deck it is perfect for 'jazzing' as you can flutter between a stay-stack order and the Tamariz stack by doing a series of legit shuffles. Not only are you getting two stacks for the price of one but I've also found that this helps to send the intelligent layman off the scent of a men deck and thus reducing the chance of being pestered by the audience to let them shuffle.