Temporarily Out of Order - Patrick Redford

This post is from four years ago, but I remember being very proud of it once I was finished. It was a beast to write. It is a review of every piece in the book.

Getting into Redford Stack:

After the forward and introduction (with a hidden trick within) the book starts by showing the order of the stack followed by an explanation of how to get into the stack from Si Stebbins with a casual overhand shuffle. No faros here! Patrick provides tips on how to memorize this shuffle. After reading these tips, the shuffle was permanently stuck in my head and virtually impossible to forget. The next section explains the Si Stebbins stack and then tells you how to get from new deck order to Si Stebbins to Redford Stack. The next section teaches how to get into Si Stebbins from a genuinely shuffled deck and then from Si Stebbins into Redford Stack. The next section teaches two tricks you can perform to hide the fact that the deck is being stacked with the method mentioned previously. The first trick is one that many mentalists already perform, so it is great that it can be used to put the deck into stack. This is followed by a two phase effect which is a demonstration of clocking cards. The first phase is impressive, but the second phase is down right impossible.

Right off the bat, I'd like to point out that while you do technically get into Redford Stack from a shuffled deck, you are actually getting into Stebbins and THEN into Redford. You don't go directly into Redford stack. This isn't a huge issue though since it is so simple to get into Redford Stack from Stebbins. The biggest plus with this stack is how easy it is to get into.

Stack Transformations:

This section teaches how to go from Redford stack into various other stacks which are useful. It teaches how to get into Si Stebbins, alternating red/black order (not Stebbins), Shocked order, Stebbins Stay stack, Redford Stay Stack, and New Deck Order.

Each of these sections includes a photo of the stack at the end which is a nice reference. I should mention, many of these stack transformations don't require faros, but some require multiple perfect faros. In fact, the book teaches four different methods of getting into New Deck order. Some with faros and some without faros. Each version has its pros and cons.

Tools for the Arranged Stack:

This section teaches some necessary techniques when working with stacks. It teaches how to secretly count to card positions, false shuffles, a faro subtlety which makes the shuffle seem fair to a layman, removing and replacing cards, keeping the stack hidden, and ends with a discussion on having a "Super Card" in the deck.

I would like to mention the false shuffles aren't taught in this section but rather discussed as a necessary tool. They are taught later in the book.

Rapid Memorization:

This section teaches how to memorize the deck in the quickest way possible. Luckily, Patrick has done all of the hard work on this one.

He uses a peg system to aid in memory and provides all the images which should make it very simple to memorize.

Quasi-Memorized Deck Techniques:

This section teaches three effects which can be performed as a memory demonstration. Each effect is used to set the deck up from genuinely shuffled directly into the Redford Stack.

The first effect actually allows you to stack the deck in new deck order. Then you must use the technique taught previously to set the deck from new deck order into Redford stack (requires faros.) This is an effect of knowing which cards two people hold. The second effect involves 4 spectator receiving a packet of cards, selecting a card, and mixing their card into their packet. You then eliminate all the cards in their packet except for the card they hold. This effect goes from a shuffled deck directly into the Redford Stack. The last effect is a combination of the first two and ends in New Deck Order which can then be shuffled into Redford Stack.

Card Locations:

This sections tells what cards can be spelt to in the Redford Stack without any adjustments (17 cards in all) followed by 9 cards which have locations in the deck that can be revealed easily.

Not much to say about this section. It's pretty impressive how many cards can be located in an impressive way with no work.

Gambling Demonstrations:

This section teaches many gambling effects including how to get any hand called for into the dealer's hand. Quite literally, any hand called can be dealt into the dealer's hand. Someone can name ANY pair value and you can deal it. Any other hand that is named can be dealt with very little tweaking of the deck. Generally it's a cut and a second deal or a cut and moving one card secretly. It's all very simple. It's amazing how many different hands can be dealt from this stack. Then an effect called "Progressive Poker" is taught which deals each player a progressively stronger hand and ends with the performer having a full house. This requires a cut, a couple of cards being moved, and a cull. But it is worth the effort. Next is a blackjack demonstration which can be dealt directly from the Redford stack. The spectator has 4 chances to win to the performer's one chance. The spectator even shuffles the cards himself. This can be followed directly by ANOTHER game of blackjack where the dealer wins yet again. Next this section teaches an effect where cards are dealt to five players and the performer deals his partner a non-flashy winning hands (pair of aces.) This is immediately repeated. This time, the partner wins with a royal flush. This demonstration only requires shifting 2 cards before performing. This is done very casually with culls. Next is a bridge/rummy demonstration ending with all four hands receiving all cards of a suit in order. This is accomplished easily with a shuffle.

Patrick teaches how to put the stack back into order after each of these effects.

Faro Effects:

This section teaches effects using faro shuffles. The first effect here is one where two black kings trap a selected card after two faro shuffles. They then find two more selected cards with another shuffle. The next effect teaches how to do a poker deal directly after the effect with the kings which ends with the spectator having a straight flush and the performer with a royal flush in spades. This is set up simply by giving the deck one more faro after the previous effect. Then an effect is taught where the four aces are turned face up in four spread out positions in the deck. The deck is shuffled and the two red aces come together at one end of the spread and the two black aces come together at the other end. The deck is shuffled again and the four aces all come together. The deck is shuffled one last time and three selections are trapped between the aces. In the next effect, two aces are turned face up and when two shuffles are performed, the aces have trapped the two selections between them. The effect is immediately repeated with two new selections. This section ends with an observation on how the deck is effected by faro shuffles.

If you enjoy faroing and can do it effortlessly, then these effects are very impressive. I especially love the combination of the kings finding three selections followed by being able to perform a powerful poker demonstration.

Generic Memorized Deck Work:

This section includes effects which can be done with any memorized deck. In the first effect, any card named is magically pushed up through the cards and because of the force, ends up bent on top of the deck. In the next effect, any card can be named and then pushed through a table only to land in a spectator's hand. The next effect allows you to dribble the cards on the table and pull out any card named by the spectator. The next effect is called Twain and involves two spectators selecting a card from their half of the deck, trading it with the other person, losing the card in their packet. The perform then divines the first spectator's card and proceeds to tell the second spectator the card they are thinking of, the location of the card in their half, and what two cards they placed the card between. The last section is where Patrick teaches his version of tossed out deck using a regular deck of cards. He covers a lot of various ideas in this.

Twain is the stand out of this section in my mind. It seems impossible and is a great reveal with little effort on the performer's part.

More Redford Stack Tricks:

This section begins with an effect called O.F.M. Essentially, the deck is split into 10 piles. The volunteer just thinks of any card from one of the piles. The performer reassembles the deck, memorizes it, asks for the name of their card, and tells them the position of their card. The deck is divided again into ten piles and the volunteer removes a card from any pile, remembers it, and puts it in any other pile. The spectator never says a word and yet the performer reveals it's position in the deck AND is able to name the card before it is revealed. The next effect is a version of Twain but this one ends with the cards covertly in suited order to be used how you wish. The next section tells how to spell to any card named from the deck. It works great following the effect mentioned previously. This section ends with "Temporarily Out of Order" which is a full 15 minute magic routine filled with incredible moments.

O.F.M. is a really great effect which truly seems impossible. The stand out of this section is easily Temporarily Out of Order. I will speak more on this later, but it is a KILLER combination where each phase sets up for the next one and it gets more and more impossible. I love this.

It's About the Story:

This section teaches three stories than can be told with the Redford stack. One of these requires 6 faros to set up. One requires and exchange of two cards and a faro. And one requires no changes whatsoever. The first story is supposedly family friendly, the second story is reminiscent of Sam the Bellhop, the third story is X-Rated and full of innuendos.

If you’re interested in story decks, all of these are valid.

The Loaded Deck:

The section talks about a combination of methods which can be added to the deck which would make it even more powerful.

Utilities:

This section teaches two false shuffles and five false cuts.

Most of these are brand new cuts and shuffles. They are all very deceptive and work very well with the material in the book.

Two Deck Switches and a Force:

As the title suggests, this section teaches two deck switches and a force.

One of the deck switches is used in the context of a routine (which uses the force) and it is brilliant. It may very well be the best deck switch I've ever seen. It is PERFECT to use in conjunction with the stack work to secretly go from a genuinely shuffled deck into the Redford Stack without anyone being the wiser.

Stacking into Effects by Others:

This section teaches how to go from Redford Stack into the following effects: 26! by Caleb Wiles, Candy by Chris Mayhew, A Pale Blue by Ben Blau, Chaos-Mandelbrot's Revenge by Pit Hartling, and Ultimate Hold 'Em by Jack Carpenter.

This section does not teach any of these effects since they are not Patrick's to teach. But each one tells where to learn the effect. I assume these are all listed because Patrick uses them often in his set.

That is what is all in the book! Now here are my thoughts:

I really genuinely love this book. I believe this is one of the best books on mem deck work to every come out. Patrick's stack is without a doubt the most versatile. It's amazing that so many incredible effects can be performed with a deck which looks nice and mixed with no patterns to be spotted. One of the best things about this deck is how easy it is to get into and also how easy it is to go from Redford Stack into the various other stacks. The "Temporarily Out of Order" routine is worth the price of the book in my mind. It is a beautiful flow of effects which is very effective. As a matter of fact, I will be performing this routine along with O.F.M. and the two effects to get into stack very shortly as a 30 minute performance. This will allow me to borrow a deck, have it thoroughly shuffled, and then perform killer magic ending with the deck sorted by all the suits in numerical order. The main change I'm making is in the book, Patrick demonstrates the final phase as some sort of the power of the human mind where the spectator deals all the cards out and they do the magic. Instead of this, I am going to present it as a memory and gambling demonstration by memorizing the cards and then "stacking" the deck with shuffles and cuts. I believe bringing this realism into the ending will get far greater reactions. That said, let me get into some thoughts on the book itself. Because it is packed with so many effects and techniques, most of the effects taught have no routine with them. They tell the effect, they teach the method, and that's it. In some cases, the book simply tells how to set up for the effect and that's it. Some people may not like this, but I actually prefer it as it allows me to put on my thinking cap to come up with presentations for the effects. Now I'd like to publicly admit: I've never memorized a deck. I've always wanted to use a memorized deck but never had the motivation. This book gave me the motivation. As a matter of fact, it's been three days of studying, and I pretty much have the deck down pat. This is a great place to be, and I know I'll only get better and better with practice. Also! This book includes a link to videos of Patrick teaching some of the moves and effects as well as bonus effects which AREN'T in the book. There's also a Facebook group for owners of the book and people are already coming up with great ideas and finding new things within the stack that even Patrick didn't discover.

Now to compare with Memorandum by Woody Aragon. I know MANY people have been wanting a comparison between this and Memorandum. While I won't be reviewing Memorandum, I will say this: Having read both, I committed the Redford Stack to memory. I found The Redford Stack to have much better effects than Woody's. Woody's has some gambling demonstrations built in, but they pale in comparison to Redford's. Perhaps the biggest reason I decided to go with the Redford Stack is because the Redford Stack is MUCH easier to get into than Woody's. I'm not great with faros. I can do them if I absolutely have to, but generally, I perform with bicycle brand cards, and I struggle to faro them consistently. Woody's requires quite a few faros to get into. Redford's can be gotten into with only two faros and some displacements. Or, it can be gotten into via the method discusses from a shuffled deck. Another downside to Woody's is that Woody's deck does not appear shuffled. As a matter of fact, Woody explicitly states you mustn't let the spectator see cards number 2-14! This is crazy to me! A large part of a good memorized deck is it appearing to be thoroughly shuffled. Woody says his doesn't appear shuffled because you must have comprise and if you want to do a bunch of routines, then the deck can't look as random. Clearly, Patrick has found a way to do both. His deck looks very well shuffled and yet a multitude of effects can be performed from it with very little effort.

All in all, I say Temporarily Out of Order wins HANDS DOWN in comparison to Woody's Memorandum stack.