This memorized deck project is awesome and great for everyone. If you are already a mem deck worker, this is for you. If you have always wanted to learn a memorized deck, this is for you. This is for any hobbyist or pro whether or not you have made the commitment to learn a stack. After watching this project, if you hadn’t already learned a stack, then you will no doubt be incentivized to do so immediately.
Craig Petty and the 1914 put out this fantastic project. What you get with your $30 project is a link to numerous downloadable instructional videos, a Mnemonica crib card and a fill-in-the-blank crib card if you use a mem deck other than the omnipresent Tamariz stack. There is also a downloadable PDF that gives you written instructions to create two other props needed for two of the tricks presented.
While the project is geared toward teaching tricks with the memorized deck (and it teaches 12 tricks), there is a 17 minute segment in which Petty teaches a sound method for slowly learning a stack. I learned Mnemonica many years ago and did exactly what Petty recommends – so I can tell you that it works. What you will learn from this project is that performing with a mem deck is worth the time it takes to learn a stack.
What is great about this project is that you do not have to have memorized a stack to start performing with a mem deck. Some of the tricks are self working and some allow you to pull off incredible card miracles by peeking at the cleverly designed crib card – that looks like a real playing card (from the spectator’s vantage point). Petty also has a video segment in which he teaches some useful false cuts and false shuffles which are great to deploy when performing with a stack.
What makes this project one of the best values of the past year is that Petty is a great teacher, he performs all the tricks to a couple in studio, the tricks are great and he expertly explains how it’s done. The first few tricks need no memory work whatsoever, but some of them require the set-up with a second deck. Point in case, the first taught trick, Card At Any Number, requires you to set up a second deck by writing numbers on the face of each card. This is one of my favorite, if not favorite, tricks on the project and it totally kills. It is an absolutely real miracle! The one-time set up takes about 30-40 minutes and then you are ready. I will be using this trick for the rest of my life. One deck is show to be completely mixed up and each card has a different number on it from 1-52 in a totally random order. Then the spectator very fairly picks a card at any place and deals two cards down. Both cards have different numbers written on their face and the spectator picks the value from one card and the handwritten number from the other. Then they set out to see if the chosen card is at the chosen number in the other deck and KNOCKOUT!!!, it does! I believe that this trick alone is worth the price of admission in of itself.
Another keeper, which I am loving to perform is Snapshot. The spectators cut the deck wherever they want and different piles are created. The performer is able to guess the cut-to card in each pile and in the last pile, the spectator completely shuffles the cards and the performer is able to, after glancing at the pile for a split second, instantly recall all the cards in the pile and guess which one the spectator chose. TOTALLY F#*&ING AMAZING!!
Petty also teaches a routine that he filmed when creating the Visible project with the 1914. This simple trick uses a modified invisible deck and a stacked deck. It is so easy to do and really shocks your spectators. In a nutshell, the spectator picks a card at any number and does not reveal what card is chosen. Then, the performer reveals the number she chose (without revealing the card) and when the other deck is removed from the box, there is one card faced the wrong way with the position number written on the back in sharpie – and when the card is flipped over, it is the spectator’s chosen card. ANOTHER GRAND SLAM!!
Of course I love Card Box Prediction in which the performer puts a prediction card face down in a tuck box and the spectator then places any card in the deck, face-down, on top of the performer’s card. After doing this a few times, it is amazingly shown that all the cards placed in the box are the mates of one another. It is another great superb routine!
I love watching Petty perform because he is very engaging and quite funny at the right moment. The production value of the videos is excellent and it was presented and edited perfectly by the 1914. You get hours of instruction and so much to ingest!
The ad copy states:
“What do the world’s top 1% of card magicians and mentalists have in common?
They have INSTANT recall of the position of ANY card in a memorized deck!
And now you can, too.
With a focus on prediction effects, master magician Craig Petty has taken an underused principle in card magic and created a monster masterclass demonstrating just how ridiculously powerful a memorized deck can be.
Imagine instantly telling a spectator EXACTLY how many cards they fairly cut from a deck.
Imagine PREDICTING the amount of cards a spectator will cut before they even do it.
Imagine performing the world’s CLEANEST Card at Any Number routine.
You will learn all of these effects and so many more.
But there’s a catch.
Memorizing a deck of cards is laborious and time consuming. It’s why so few magicians ever make the top 1% and why so many performers quit trying.
However, Craig Petty’s unique approach to learning a mem-deck will DRASTICALLY improve your progress and significantly slash the time required to learn one. Here’s how:
The first three effects taught in Forecast are completely self working, killer card miracles. Despite using stacked decks, there is no need to remember the position of a single card! Craig designed these effects to help you become familiar with your stack without the risk of getting anything wrong. You will master all three effects almost instantly (and they are easily worth the price of this project alone).
The next three tricks are slightly more advanced, but easily still within your grasp. While they don’t require instant recall, they do require a basic familiarization with your stack. But we’ve made it super easy by including a devious gimmick that will be your safety net. Even in the heat of performance, you will never lose your cool.
The final three tricks do require instant recall. But by mastering all of the effects that came prior, you’ll have already overtaken 99% of magicians that embarked on this path before you; You will have conquered the foundations and the finish line will be firmly in sight.
Memorizing the order of a deck of playing cards allows you to perform card miracles that appear TRULY impossible, even to other magicians. If you’re looking for magician foolers, this project is bursting with them!
What’s more, every effect taught in Forecast can be performed with ANY memorized card stack. Craig uses the existing Mnemonica stack by Juan Tamariz but you are welcome to create your own by shuffling a deck into a random order and using that to begin your mem-deck journey.
No more procrastinating. There has never been a better time to master the mem-deck.
Are you ready to join the 1%?”
As a recap, this is a wonderfully valued incredible project that teaches you some real gems which you will absolutely use! I truly appreciate Murphy’s Magic asking me to review this trick for my peeps! This gets the highest recommendation and can be found at any Murphy’s dealer! Go get it guys!!!
