Memorized Stack A-Z
Are you considering adding a memorized stack to your arsenal of card magic tools? There are a bunch of questions worth asking when you begin thinking about mem-deck work, including perhaps the most popular question, “Which stack should I learn?” I hope this article will help you get started!
ABOUT THIS ARTICLE
Recently, I reached out to mem-deck practitioners from around the world, whose experience ranged from less than a year to forty-one years, so that I could reflect on their views, insights and experiences. As my research went on through surveys and numerous one-to-one correspondence, I was able to identify common factors not only relating to the repertoire, favorite routines and performing practices of other performers, but also in their approach to selecting and learning new material, practice habits, individual choices and rationales. Below are a few findings from the surveys and interviews I've conducted. There is no hard science at work here, and I could write at length on my own thoughts and ideas about each of the following, but I've included a handful of findings here for you to consider and I hope by doing so you'll feel more comfortable with your pending stack decision.
SURVEY FEEDBACK
· The vast majority of those I surveyed or interviewed perform or favor mostly stack-independent material, meaning that built-in (stack-dependent) effects had little impact on stack selection for most.
· Around 40% had changed stacks at least once. This was more common in participants with 3 or more years experience using a stack (before changing to another stack).
· Of those stack users I surveyed and/or interviewed, the vast majority agree that which stack you initially choose (as your first stack) makes little difference.
· HOWEVER: Almost ALL favored a stack with a random appearance, i.e. a stack able to withstand casual examination.
· Some correlation was observed between early study material and specific stack preferences.
· Matching Cards and New Deck Order routines are the most popular finale routine. Interestingly, neither typically require the stack is memorized.
· The most popular stack features for the group surveyed were: 1. Withstands examination, 2. Transforms to NDO, 3. Other transformations e.g. Stebbins, StayStack
· Of those utilizing built-in features more often, most are more experienced users.
WHAT IS A MEMORIZED STACK?
A memorized deck is simply any arrangement of fifty-two cards in which you have memorized the numerical position (stack number) of each card, so that you can name, instantly from memory, the card at any position AND the exact position of any card. There is more to learning a memorized stack than memorizing the sequence of cards. It’s not like learning the alphabet, which typically means only learning the sequence of letters. For example, I’d say most people wouldn’t instantly know the 19th letter of the alphabet or the numerical position of the letter J. Imagine instead also learning the numerical position of each letter AND learning each relationship both ways. If someone says 14, for example, you must instantly think N. Or, if someone says H you must instantly think 8. With a memorized deck you’re instantly able to name the card at any stack number! Or if someone names a card, you’ll instantly know its position in your stack.
IS ‘SI STEBBINS’ A MEMORIZED STACK?
The memorized deck is sometimes confused with other types of stacks. Specifically, many people looking to learn a memorized stack will already have heard of the “Eight Kings” or “Si Stebbins” stacks. Although either of these stacks can be memorized, they’re both typically used as sequential stacks, a term to describe a stack where any card cues the next or previous card. I'd wager that most magicians using Stebbins don’t memorize the stack, but instead simply use it to quickly work out the next (or previous) card in the sequence. Technically, Stebbins is also an algorithmic stack in which an algorithm allows you to know the stack position of any card and vice versa, but again, I'd wager this feature is seldom used.
Si Stebbins has a repeating pattern which could be discovered by anyone given the chance to study the sequence for more than a few seconds. Some prefer a more random order for a memorized stack.
A memorized stack can be used to reference the next or previous card BUT by memorizing each card and its position in a stack, you can accomplish MANY things not possible with a sequential stack that hasn't been memorized!
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE POPULAR STACKS?
You’ve probably heard of stacks like Aronson's (published by Simon Aronson as A Stack To Remember) and Mnemonica (sometimes called the Tamariz stack, the creation of legendary magician Juan Tamariz). If you’ve done some research already, you’ll know that both stacks have different properties/features. Choosing an existing stack for yourself to learn comes down to researching the properties and features of several stacks and making a decision based on which features you think are most important. In another post I'll list different well-known or published stacks and a full breakdown of their respective properties and features. But read on, because even though I think researching the features and properties of different stacks will be helpful, I have several suggestions that may surprise you.
ADVICE ABOUT LEARNING A MEMORIZED STACK
When it comes to memorized deck work, and especially which stack to learn, it’s very difficult to escape an unbiased view (including my own). And as a newcomer, how will you know good advice from bad? Depending on who you’re talking to, opinions will vary greatly. With the best intentions, even very experienced stack workers are likely to have a strong opinion about what you should learn and where to begin. Similarly, less experienced users might offer wonderful advice but again, as a newcomer, it would be difficult for you to know good advice from bad.
I’ve heard people suggest that if you have a magician friend who knows a stack, to learn the same stack because it gives you someone to session with and learn from, but I don’t think this is a good idea. It's my personal opinion that if you have a magician friend who knows a stack and with whom you session, then you would be better off learning an entirely different stack, because you’ll both have the benefit of comparing different stack features when you session and will ultimately learn much more about the advantages and disadvantages of your respective stacks.
DESIGNING YOUR OWN STACK
I've designed and memorized several stacks of my own. But not before having already been performing with a memorized deck (Aronson) for a long time (perhaps 10 years). When designing my first personal stack I had two main criteria. First, I wanted to perform several of my favorite routines using set-ups, without changing decks. In other words, I wanted to have a range of strong routines built into my memorized deck, ready to go without additional set-up or changing decks when I performed. Second, it was important for me that the stack could withstand casual examination when spread face up. It should not have any repeating patterns or obvious card groupings. The stack I presently use is not published and not only has everything I'd built into my original stack, it now contains the top three most popular features among stack workers (of those I've surveyed), as well as unique mathematical properties I believe have never appeared in a published stack before. The point is, if you design a stack, it needs to serve you, and function in the way that best suits your needs. And that might change over time.
WHICH STACK SHOULD YOU LEARN?
Which stack should I learn? The first obstacle before memorizing anything is choosing which stack you will learn. Here’s my recommendation! I recommend learning almost ANY well-known stack to get started in mem-deck work. I used to think it was better to spend more time researching the features first so that you could make a more informed decision, and to some extent, that is true, but if you're choosing a popular stack and there is some published material on the stack you choose, then I really don't think it matters too much. BUT, let me explain perhaps the most important reason WHY! The reason is that I’d encourage you to change stacks after a couple of years anyway. Whichever stack you choose, chances are, there is going to be a little chicken and egg happening at first, in that you probably won’t know at first what you need or will most enjoy about memorized stack work, even if you have done some research beforehand! Learning any stack and using it for a while will reveal much more about what you like and don’t like about it. If you plan on changing stacks later anyway, then the worst that might happen is that you will discover very specific features missing from the first stack you learn. In other words, you’ll have found there are things you’d like to be able to do but can’t do with the stack you use. And that is GREAT! Because now you'll know exactly what you want and why! Whether it’s exactly two years or not makes no difference. But spend enough time with your first stack to properly explore its features and its advantages and disadvantages. It’s my view that if after two years you haven’t found problems or limitations in the first stack you use, then you’re probably not really exploring the possibilities of the tool, or maybe you’re just very happy with it and your first choice was perfect for you.
