The Best Card Stacks for Magic — Mnemonica, Aronson, and Beyond

A prearranged stack is one of the most underrated weapons in a magician’s toolkit. Whether you want to perform impossible mind-reading effects or maintain full control over a deck that looks shuffled, stack work is the secret sauce that separates good magicians from great ones.

But which stack should you learn?

Here’s a breakdown of the most popular and powerful card stacks in magic — with pros, cons, and which type of magician they best serve. And if none of them fit your style? You can create your own — and yes, our app fully supports that.

1. Mnemonica Stack (Juan Tamariz)

🧠 Best for versatility and advanced effects

The Mnemonica stack, created by Spanish master Juan Tamariz, is arguably the most famous stack in the world. It looks completely shuffled and chaotic, but is packed with hidden properties that allow for stunning tricks with minimal handling.

Pros:

• Extremely versatile with dozens of built-in effects
• Extensive literature and routines available
• Can be restored mid-performance after genuine shuffling
• Starts from new-deck order with a single faro shuffle

Cons:

• Harder to memorize due to lack of obvious patterns
• Steeper learning curve for beginners
• Requires significant time investment to master

✅ Built into Mnemonica: Stack Trainer — practice it with precision and track your progress.

2. Aronson Stack (Simon Aronson)

📚 Best for built-in tricks and classic routines

The Aronson stack is another memorized stack loaded with embedded effects. It’s slightly easier to memorize than Mnemonica thanks to some subtle patterns, and has a deep library of resources and tricks behind it.

Pros:

• Easier to learn than Mnemonica
• Many powerful tricks require no sleight of hand
• Extensive literature support from Simon Aronson’s books
• Strong mathematical properties

Cons:

• Slightly more structured appearance to trained eyes
• More difficult to restore mid-routine compared to Mnemonica
• Fewer modern resources compared to Mnemonica

✅ Fully supported in the app with complete memorization tools.

3. Si Stebbins Stack

📐 Best for beginners and quick wins

The Si Stebbins stack uses a simple mathematical sequence (typically +3 in value, alternating suits in CHaSeD order), which makes it very easy to learn and calculate on the fly.

Pros:

• Extremely easy to memorize and set up
• Perfect for instant reveals and quick calculations
• Works exceptionally well with mentalism presentations
• Great introduction to stack work concepts

Cons:

• Easily detected by knowledgeable audiences
• Limited flexibility compared to memorized stacks
• Repetitive pattern becomes obvious with extended use

✅ You can add it manually or create variations as a custom stack in the app.

4. Redford Stack (Patrick Redford)

🎯 Best for modern, hybrid routines

The Redford stack is a relatively new memorized stack that combines some of the best features of both Mnemonica and Aronson. It’s optimized for performance practicality and includes useful new-deck order properties.

Pros:

• Elegant mathematical structure
• Appears completely random
• Can be reset via faro shuffles
• Modern design with performance optimization

Cons:

• Fewer existing resources and published routines
• Still building adoption in the magic community
• Limited educational materials compared to classic stacks

✅ Create it as a custom stack in the app and track your memorization progress.

5. Your Own Custom Stack

🛠️ Best for magicians with specific goals or signature effects

Sometimes, no prebuilt stack perfectly fits your style or specific routine requirements — and that’s when creating your own becomes the smartest choice. Whether you’re combining multiple effects, optimizing for particular sleights, or creating a stack that flows seamlessly into your existing routines, a custom stack gives you complete creative control.

Pros:

• Perfectly tailored to your specific effects and style
• Original and virtually undetectable by audiences
• Can evolve and improve over time based on performance experience
• Gives you unique material that no other magician performs

Cons:

• No prewritten routines or published literature
• Requires more creativity, testing, and development time
• You must create your own practice methods and effects

✅ Mnemonica: Stack Trainer was built for exactly this. Create, name, and practice any custom stack — with full statistics, multiple practice modes, and complete personalization.

How to Choose the Right Stack for You

Getting Started: The Smart Way to Learn Stack Work

Learning a card stack isn’t just about memorization — it’s about building the speed, accuracy, and confidence to perform under pressure. The most successful magicians don’t just know their stack; they’ve trained it until it becomes second nature.

The difference between knowing a stack and mastering it:

• Knowing: You can recite the order when prompted
• Mastering: You instantly know any card’s position, can cut to any card, and perform complex calculations without hesitation

Final Thoughts

Your stack defines your style of magic — and the best stack is the one you’ll actually learn, practice, and perform with confidence. Whether you choose a time-tested classic like Mnemonica, a beginner-friendly option like Si Stebbins, or decide to create your own custom arrangement, consistency in practice is what transforms a memorized list into a powerful performance tool.

Don’t just read about stack work — train it daily with tools designed specifically for magicians.

🎯 Use Mnemonica: Stack Trainer to master any stack — whether it’s a classic, a modern invention, or your own custom creation. Build speed, accuracy, and confidence with every practice session.

Start training smart. Perform like a pro.