Guide

Getting Started

MemDeck is a training tool for magicians and memory enthusiasts who want to master a memorized deck. It helps you drill card positions through flashcard exercises and utilities so you can recall any card at any position — instantly.

To get started, select a stack using the dropdown at the bottom of the sidebar. MemDeck supports eight memorized deck systems:

• Tamariz (Mnemonica) — Juan Tamariz

  Selected
• Aronson — Simon Aronson
• Memorandum — Woody Aragón
• Redford Stack — Patrick Redford
• Particle System — Joshua Jay
• Elephant — Pierre Boc & Yves Meret
• Infinity — Tim Conover
• Intuitiva Santi — Magic Santi

Flashcard Training

The main training mode. You're shown a prompt and must recall the matching card or position in your selected stack. Four modes are available:

• Card Only — shown a card, recall its position number
• Number Only — shown a position number, recall the card
• Both — randomly alternates between the two
• Neighbor — shown a card with a direction arrow, pick the adjacent card in the stack

Tap the gear icon to switch between Position and Neighbor modes and adjust timer settings. Use the target icon to start a structured session with 10, 20, 30, or 52-card presets, or practice free-form without a session.

Spot Check Training

Train your ability to quickly detect anomalies in your memorized deck spread. Three modes are available:

• Missing Card — one card is removed; identify which one is absent
• Swapped Cards — two cards swap positions; tap either misplaced card
• Moved Card — one card moves to a wrong spot; find the moved card

Use the gear icon to switch between modes and adjust timer settings. Start a structured session with the target icon.

ACAAN Training

ACAAN stands for "Any Card At Any Number" — a classic effect where a spectator names any card and any number, and the card is found at that exact position in the deck.

In this mode, you're shown a card and a target position. Your job is to calculate the cut depth needed to move the card to that position. Enter a value from 0 to 51. Timer and session options work the same as Flashcard mode.

Distance Number Training

Train the offset arithmetic that powers Pit Hartling's Quartets and similar on-the-fly productions. "Distance numbers" — coined by Pit Hartling and Denis Behr in "In Order to Amaze" — are the offsets between specific cards in your stack.

• Compute — see two cards, pick the distance between them
• Apply — see a card and an offset, pick the resulting card
• Both — random mix of compute and apply rounds

Pick between cyclic (forward only, 1 to N-1) and signed (shortest signed offset) convention in settings.

Tap the gear icon to switch modes, change conventions, and adjust timer settings. Use the target icon to start a structured session.

Stats

Track your progress over time. The Stats page includes overview cards, an accuracy trend chart (filterable by mode and sub-mode), a per-stack breakdown table, and paginated session history. All data is stored locally in your browser.

Resources

A curated collection of books and PDFs on memorized deck theory, routines, and practice techniques from leading authors in the field.

Toolbox

A collection of memorized deck utilities for stack analysis and performance work. The toolbox includes:

• Stack Lookup — search your stack by card name or position number
• Faro Shuffle — see the effect of perfect faro shuffles on your stack order
• Card Spelling — explore how many letters each card's name has and where spelling lands in your stack
• Stay Stack Sequences — view the cyclical sequences formed by dealing every Nth card

Tips

• All your data stays in your browser — nothing is sent to a server.
• Toggle between dark and light mode using the icon in the header.
• In training modes, tap the gear icon to adjust mode and timer settings, or the target icon to start a session.
• Switching stacks doesn't lose your data — progress is tracked per stack.
• After a few sessions, the homepage shows a "New challenge" card — a mode, variant, or timed challenge you haven't tried yet, drawn from your own training history.
• Install MemDeck as an app on your device for offline access.
• Change the display language using the language selector in the navigation menu.
• Use the share button in the navigation menu to spread the word about MemDeck with fellow magicians.
• Use the stack range next to the stack picker in the menu to train on a subset of positions. Start small and expand as you memorize more cards.
• Use the reset button in the menu to clear your data. You can reset settings only (keeping training history) or reset everything.

Why a dedicated tool?

AI chatbots can hallucinate card positions — and training with wrong answers is worse than not training at all. MemDeck uses hardcoded, verified stack data so every drill is accurate.

• Instant, tap-based drills — no prompts or waiting.
• Works offline — train backstage, on the subway, or on a plane.
• Card faces engage visual memory differently than reading text.
• Accuracy charts, session history, and streaks — AI chats have no memory.
• Free forever — no subscription required.