Flexible Pseudo Memorized Deck Routine

This routine is a unique blend of “Memoria” and “Snapshot,” showcasing impressive mentalism skills.

• Memoria: Imagine this scenario: A spectator shuffles the deck, peeks at a card, and shuffles again. The cards are then spread face up on the table. You engage in memorization, claiming to have memorized the entire deck. After gathering the cards, you ask the spectator to name their card. You confidently state that it’s the 23rd card down. They count to twenty-three and reveal the card. “If I recall correctly, the card here should be the two of spades,” you say, turning over the 22nd card. “And the card that hasn’t been dealt yet is the jack of hearts.” Both statements are accurate. “And your card was the ten of clubs, right? Let’s turn it over…” It’s indeed their card.

• Snapshot: The mentalist begins, “Has anyone heard of photographic memory? It allows one to retain images like photographs. For instance, I could glance at a book or magazine briefly and recall its contents hours later. Let me demonstrate this with a deck of cards, representing 52 distinct items.” The mentalist spreads the cards face up. “These can be arranged in any order.” As the cards are shuffled, they are handed to a spectator for further mixing.

  “Now, I can’t know the order of the cards,” the mentalist states, spreading the cards face down. A spectator selects a card and conceals it. “Here’s the intriguing part: I’m developing my photographic memory. I can remember the exact order of a deck in ten seconds. With only 51 cards, I should do it even faster. I’ll spread the cards face up, and I’d like you to count to ten loudly.” As the spectator counts to seven, the mentalist gathers the cards and turns them face down, locking eyes with the spectator.

  “I saw 26 red cards and 25 black cards, indicating your card is black. Among the black cards, there are 13 clubs and 12 spades, so it must be a spade. All picture cards were present, plus the ace, four, nine, eight, three, five, ten, seven, and six. Therefore, it has to be the two of spades… turn it over!” The spectator reveals the two of spades, confirming the mentalist’s prowess.

• Polaroid Memories: This is a creative fusion of Memoria and Snapshot.

• Thoughts in Amber: You borrow a deck from a friendly stranger. They cut the deck and remember a card while another spectator randomly selects a card and sets it aside unseen. The deck is shuffled again without the magician touching the cards. After memorizing the deck, the magician can pinpoint the location of the second spectator’s card and identify the missing card! This is achieved with a borrowed deck, shuffled by the spectator, with no marked cards, forces, or peeks involved!

• The Shuffle

• Kickers

• ACAAN Ending