Memorised Deck by Simon Aronson

Effect

A memorised deck allows a magician to know the position of every card in a deck. To an audience, this appears as an impossible demonstration of memory or mental power. The magician can name cards at specific positions, reveal a spectator's chosen card without asking questions, or perform complex routines where multiple cards are found in seemingly impossible ways. The effect is a clean and direct display of skill that feels like real magic.

Full details

A memorised deck is a stack where the order of all 52 cards is known to the performer. This is not a trick with a single method, but a system that enables many different effects. Magicians use a memorised deck to perform routines like Simon Aronson's "Everybody's Lazy," where a card is found after the spectator merely thinks of a number. The system provides a foundation for creating miracles that are both logical and powerful. It is a tool that, once learned, can be applied to countless situations.

Who should consider the trick

This trick is for magicians who want to expand their repertoire with a versatile tool. It is ideal for performers interested in mentalism or card magic that feels direct and impossible. R. Paul Wilson includes a memorised deck in his desert island list, indicating its value for serious study. Nikolas Mavresis also selects it for his desert island, noting its power in a mentalism context. Magicians who enjoy practicing and mastering a system will find this rewarding.

Information on how difficult it is to perform

Learning a memorised deck requires dedicated practice. You must commit the entire stack order to memory and be able to recall it quickly during performance. R. Paul Wilson uses learning the guitar as a metaphor for this process, emphasizing structured practice and the embrace of the "slog" to achieve competence. The initial learning curve is steep, but once mastered, the deck becomes a powerful asset. It is not a quick trick to learn, but the investment in time pays off with a lifetime of magical possibilities.

What magicians say

R. Paul Wilson specifically references Simon Aronson’s “Everybody’s Lazy” as a desert island trick using a memorised deck. He advocates for effect-first decisions and cutting procedural clutter, which a memorised deck facilitates by providing clean methods. Nikolas Mavresis includes the memorised deck in his desert island picks, valuing it for its versatility and power in mentalism. He states that designing magic from the spectator's perspective creates baffling experiences, and a memorised deck helps achieve this by allowing direct and mysterious effects. Both magicians highlight the memorised deck as a foundational tool for creating strong magic.