The Memorized Deck:

Some magicians take months, even years, in search of the perfect stack to memorize. Unfortunately many never reach their goal. The reason is simple, they skipped the first step: they didn't commit themselves!

Once, and only once, your decision is taken to memorize a stack, then go on with the following steps. Motivate yourself by thinking about the possibilities it wil give you and the new level of card magic you will reach.

Take any sleight (false cut, false shuffle, card control, force, etc.) and ask the magical community which one is the best. You will get enough answers to fill a book. The reason is that there are no such thing as the best sleight. There are many factors determining which one fits you most: the size of your hands, your skill, your performance style, etc. The same is true for memorized stacks. And at the end, the best stack for you is the one you will choose and use.

There are many criteria to consider when choosing the stack that best suits you. We will discuss five of them shortly.

Once your choice of stack is done, make the plunge and learn the stack. At first you will move slowly. Keep going on. Take notes of your progress and congratulate yourself. Gradually you wil reach a point where all 52 cards and their stack-numbers have been memorized. Don't stop yet. Continue your training until the cards and their stack-numbers can be instantly recalled.

This might sound awkward, but yes , once your learning is completed, you must use the stack. There is a multitude of good card tricks using a memorized deck. Choose a few among the ones you like, learn and practice them well.

Sleights require regular exercises. The same is true for memorized deck. If you don't use a stack regulary, make sure it stays fresh in your memory by reciting it from time to time.