Where huckster = fraudster the answer is a clear "YES!!!"
Jim Karol - Amazing Memory or Magic Trick
- Thread starter Dumb All Over
- Start date
The Harry Lorayne books: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias=stripbooks&field-keywords=Harry+Lorayne
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aofl
Muse
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- Jan 18, 2005
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Just to beat a dead horse, memorized deck work is a popular sub-branch of card magic these days. If you're interested in it's use in a magic context, you can get Juan Tamariz's Mnemonica, Simon Aronson's Bound to Please, and Woody Aragon's Memorandum.
Ask for them wherever you buy magic books.
Ask for them wherever you buy magic books.
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Mr Salk
Thinker
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Karol isn't using a standard stack; it wouldn't stand up to scrutiny. The interesting part is he doesn't let Ellen jack up his order with a messy cut/shuffle. There are plenty of stacks that use neumonic steps so there is zero memorization needed.
Greebo
Critical Thinker
Thank you! Against my will, my brain has been churning on this in the background ever since I posted.
Greebo
Critical Thinker
You're welcome - mind you, I got that from a book my Dad had, which at the most recent must have been published in the 1960's
Dumb All Over
A Little Ugly on the Side
No. You've missed the point and the trick. Karol is using a clean, standard deck which holds up to scrutiny.
Very true. Anything other than a clean cut would change the pre-set, pre-memorized sequence of 52 cards. However, Ellen can cleanly cut the deck anywhere she likes and, as long as it is clean, her cut will not adversely affect the trick.Mr Salk said:
I'm sorry, but no. This trick requires the magician to memorize a sequence of 52 cards. He may take as long as he likes to memorize the sequence: a day, a month, a year, a decade. Rest assured, the memorization process will take much longer than the ten seconds Karol purports to use during Ellen's show. Anyone with normal memory skills can perform this trick. No book needed. No money to Karol necessary. In fact, anyone who reads and understands this thread is able to do the trick now without any further studying. All you need is a plain deck of cards and the time necessary to memorize 52 items in order.Mr Salk said:
Please review the upthread spoiler by DevilsAdvocate, this one:
Well, it's more than a small hint, really.DevilsAdvocate said:
Mr Salk
Thinker
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I assure you i know the point. Not using standard-Stack, the deck is standard. Memorization of stacks generally involves personalized neumonic tricks. No sense wasting your time going at it cold. While one could spend months or years, any memory expert can do a deck in a few minutes. Clearly Karol pre-drilled this stack, but I assume he can peg it rather quickly with the usual methods.
Brainster
Penultimate Amazing
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I remember reading as a kid 50 years ago Jerry Lucas' book on memorization. In the first chapter he talked about memorizing a list of 20 different items, and while I can't remember them all, there was an envelope, an airplane, a basketball, a song and a bucket.
I used to be terrible at remembering names but since I have to do it at work, I've become much better. A trick I use is when I meet someone I try to associate them with someone else who has the same first name.
I used to be terrible at remembering names but since I have to do it at work, I've become much better. A trick I use is when I meet someone I try to associate them with someone else who has the same first name.
alfaniner
Penultimate Amazing
Hehe, I remember the ring in the envelope -- probably the second thing on the list? "Imagine a thousand rings flying out of the envelope and hitting you in the face". I recall making a picture of a pencil stabbing a ring through the envelope -- perhaps pencil was third? One thing I'll say, those techniques worked if you used them.
I still use the number/letter/word/image associations for PINs.
Armitage72
Philosopher
The alphabet was mentioned in this thread a couple years ago, and setting things to music definitely helps memorization. When I recite the alphabet, I almost always hear the song that ends "Now I know my ABCs. Next time won't you sing with me?" in my head.
I can recite the preamble of the Constitution from memory, but the cadence tends to match the song from Schoolhouse Rock.
Thanks to an episode of Cheers, I'll never forget that Albania borders on the Adriatic, its land is mostly mountainous, and its major export is chrome. Coach was helping Sam get his GED and introduced him to the idea of remembering facts by associating them with music.
I can recite the preamble of the Constitution from memory, but the cadence tends to match the song from Schoolhouse Rock.
Thanks to an episode of Cheers, I'll never forget that Albania borders on the Adriatic, its land is mostly mountainous, and its major export is chrome. Coach was helping Sam get his GED and introduced him to the idea of remembering facts by associating them with music.
Monza
Alta Viro
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I agree he uses a mem deck. Years ago I started learning the Aronson stack after reading some books by Michael Close. I didn't stick with it so the stack didn't stick with me. But Simon Aronson and Michael Close have some really astonishing effects using this technique (such as a gaff-free Invisible Deck).
As to really memorizing a shuffled deck, this is a standard phase of formal memory competitions. I believe the world record for correctly memorizing a randomly shuffled deck is just over 15 seconds. Astonishing indeed!
As to really memorizing a shuffled deck, this is a standard phase of formal memory competitions. I believe the world record for correctly memorizing a randomly shuffled deck is just over 15 seconds. Astonishing indeed!