Reviews: Read What Alex Hall Is Saying

Karma Deck

reviewed by Alex Hall (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 10 August, 2025)

If you have never been introduce to MEMORIZED stack work (I mean by a master like Simon Aronson or Juan Tamariz), this ebook might be a worthy step as a "first date". But if you have gone long miles to research the pros and cons of MEMORIZED stacks and have made the decision to devote time and effort to wield this mighty weapon, than I suggest leaving this aside and invest in the real work.

Here are the reasons.

First of all, I say MEMORIZED in its strictest terms, like "if you forget it, the only fallback is a note stuck to the back of a joker". After all, you can rote memorize virtually any sequence...so might as well use something with magic built in. Memorized stacks from Nikola to Aragon are mostly blessed with multiple built-in magic, of which very few is introduced in this Ebook (although I believe construction of more is possible).

Now to the construction of the stack. Unknown Mentalist is wise in separating suits from values, and using a tetradistic design, so the problem after the simplification really boils down to a bijection from collection {1,2,3...13} to itself. The construction of the bijection is admittedly smart, since it uses something virtually everyone is familiar with, so takes up little extra memory. Tetradistic stacks do offer distinct advantages (please refer to All In by Allan Ackerman, for details), but I am admittedly a bit disappointed to realize that this is not included in the description.

In all, I think this ebook works OK for a memorized stack first date. You invest 18$ and some 10 minutes and get a stack that is memorized besides a few tricks. Now you can do many if not most stack independent works. But are there advanced features like conversion from and to new deck order? Not mentioned. Any full-length discussion on how to get into stack from any situations? No. Also, the algorithmic nature means you have to discover built-ins, instead of building your favourite tricks into the stack.

It can properly serve as an introduction, and tryout to see if mem decks are really your thing. There is nothing wrong to abandon mem decks in exchange for other tools, and if after using karma you find out mem decks are just not so favourable to you, a great deal of time and effort is saved. But if you are an addict of mem decks, and wish not only to use but to study and cherish it, I recommend karma only as a middling addition to your knowledge, not a full powered weapon.