Thanks, Sylle!
So it is Shadow System’s first part with variable number of images on different locus, right?
And how do you prefer to encode a change between combinations (black first to red first, for example)? On the same locus or on the next?
I don’t have the same mapping, but otherwise, yes, that’s correct.
My mapping is as follows:
Value of Ace-to-ten = 1-10 as in the consonnant sounds of the (modified) major system
Value of J/Q/K = sounds of “i/u” … “o/oo” … “a”
Spades + [Clubs or Spades] = 1 = T/D
Hearts + [Clubs or Spades] = 2 = N
Clubs + [Clubs or Spades] = 3 = M
Diamond + [Clubs or Spades] = 4 = R
Spades + [Hearts or Diamonds] = 7 = L
Hearts + [Hearts or Diamonds] = 5 = S
Clubs + [Hearts or Diamonds] = 8 = F/V
Diamond + [Hearts or Diamonds] = 6 = CH/J
Then if the second card is “pointy”, i.e. Spades or Diamonds, then I move on to the next locus, otherwise I keep piling on.
So 3 of diamonds and 2 of hearts would read 3+6+2 = M+CH+N = MaCHiNe = washing machine. And since card two is hears, the next image will pop out of the machine.
But that’s only one of many different types of possible mappings.
4 Likes
It’s a very interesting system! Thanks for the detailed explanation!
The most miraculous thing happened: I stopped drinking alcohol for 10 days and effortlessly broke 1.30 with my PAO on first attempt since a week. Never thought this would have such an impact. I am really enthusiastic about breaking the minute this year. I started to train not saying the names of the pictures in my head, but just creating them directly.
10 Likes
I just got 2minutes and 17 seconds! (Although I made one mistake when encoding, seeing the 6 of hearths as a 6 of diamonds).
I’m excited to break the 2 minute mark 
4 Likes
My best time is 5 minutes (no mistakes). I started memory techniques 1 month ago so I consider myself a rookie. Also, I attend university full time for engineering so I don’t get the chance to practice everyday. I just want to beat the Ontario Canada record one day which is 1:18. BTW I use PAO.
2 Likes
Welcome to the forum. That’s awesome. 5 minutes for a deck of cards should not be considered a rookie time in my opinion.
1 Like
New pb: 88 seconds. It’s been more than 2 full years since my last pb at this, so I’m quite jubilant.
It’s just a 9 seconds improvement over my previous best. I believed/knew I could do it for some time but I thought it would take me a few more weeks or months before getting it to the sub 90 seconds (from 97 seconds), so this is a pleasant surprise. I have never been been consistent at Speed Cards (except for the last couple of months.) Now, 4 of my previous 5 attempts were under 2 minutes and with nomis take. Hey, I am just discovering this interesting reverse for my reverse name Simon ; nomiS take. That’s so funny. (When you play a lot with words… discoveries like that seem to startle you regularly.)
Anyway, 2 years to improve by about 10% isn’t that bad, I think. And now that the plateau has been broken, there could be more improvement shortly. The method was the Less L. Method which is unique and my own invention. I will update the thread I made for this technique shortly.
I didn’t think I had it this morning. After putting down all the cards I remembered, a few things were off. During the mental revision, right after the memorization, I had my king of hearts correct but during the actual putting down of the cards, I put the wrong card down but this was corrected without much trouble in the subsequent check up. Two cards in a loci had to be switch. I wasn’t sure of one of them and then asked myself if I had reversed the cards in that loci, so I interchanged the images visualized it the new way and bingo, I remembered that was it!
Anyway, it’s now time for celebrations… maybe for a few weeks? I remember reaching the sub 5 minute mark after about after 5 years of working on it. By the time I reached the 3 minute mark that time standard was no longer the norm needed for Grand Master of Memory. By the time I reached the sub 2 minute mark, I think it was no longer a norm for a Grand Master of Memory anymore either. Now, I think I have read somewhere that the sub 90 seconds is a norm but not for Grand Master of Memory. Ha! Ha! I finally get to catch up with the norm but obviously a bit too late…
In some of my systems, 88 (my new pb) is eighty eight which rhymes a little with “idiot” and so I created an image of my younger self playing soccer as that’s how my soccer coach used to call me. Self-deprecating images do work. It’s only fitting that he gets to hold the record for now.
Anyway, achieving goals faster than anticipated creates a bit of trouble... what's my next goal? Ho well, let's not think about that for today.
1 Like
11:18:80 No errors. first time using PAO. Do you all find practicing daily for cards or practicing different memory categories and returning to cards gave you better improvement? I probably will try at least a deck or 3 every couple days to let my practice palaces clear
I do at least three decks almost every day, one in the morning before the kids wake up, one in the afternoon before my lunch break and one in the evening after the kids go to bed. I have one day of no cards, and one day of multiple decks, often around 20-30, of which around half are memorized right after each other, without recall inbetween.
I just got my first fully correct sub 40! An incredibly impressive 39:59. I made it below 40 a while ago too, but upon putting down the cards they decided to make a run for it and fell off the table… 
5 Likes
my PB is 5:26:92 from today(just few mins back) .
A perfect Recall but Recall time is way too much, took me 10:04:44 
today is the 30th day since i started memorizing Deck of cards.
now the goal is to come under 2 mins within next 30 days, and hopefully i will succeed 
@fogelmemory which system are you using?
ok got the answer while checking previous posts.
2 Likes
I’m using PAO , good luck !
actually I’m having this problem. The feeling of I can’t memorize anything after my 2 months of quite good training. I even made a thread here for it. It’s been a week for me of really so out of my game. Now i’m just memorizing 16 cards.
So after almost a 9 day gap(didn’t practice with cards at all, only occasionally went through my deck images in Anki to strengthen the association with the cards)
in my today’s 7th attempt got my PB of 3:50:08 with perfect recall
Still a sloth’s pace yet feeling joyful.
Having a cool off period helps immensely, atleast in my case it did.
Yeah it helps me t0o. Aftr 2wks wks of rest fr0m trying t0 mem0rize thngs, im starting n0w getting better.
Had my first ever try at memorizing whole deck. Took 18m:36s. 5 errors.
I’m using PAO. No loci, just visualizing with link method. In the future I’ll add loci.
For now I’m going to do mainly exercises where I just shuffle through the whole deck naming off persons, then actions, then objects without trying to memorize - just to get my recognition faster.
Right now I have to hear each one spoken in my mind. Like subvocalization. I assume that when people get really fast they only see image flashes?
1 Like
On my second try, just now, I did 7m03s with 8 errors. Making a journey makes a huge difference.
So with one try I shaved off 11m33s with only 3 more errors.
2 Likes