One of the reasons I started getting hooked on memory training was because of a deck of cards. When I first started I thought to myself, how cool would it be to memorize a WHOLE deck of cards in just minutes?? So I set out to do just that.
While it looks hard to most people, and some even think it's a magic trick, it's not. It's actually pretty easy. Yes, there is a bit of setup involved, but literally anyone can do it with a bit of practice.
A great place to start if you think memorizing the entire deck of suits and values is a bit to overwhelming, is with just memorizing the colors (red, black). It actually is exponentially easier than memorizing the full deck and is still a pretty satisfying accomplishment when you complete it. So, without further ado, check out my latest memory tips video to learn how to do it:
Just a quick recap of the system...
CONSONANTS
Notice that I'm starting at the first consonant of the alphabet, 'B', and working up from there. The only exceptions are the last two, 'N' and 'M'. The reason I flipped those is because a BLACK BLACK RED reminds me of two black down strokes, like writing an 'n' down on paper. BLACK BLACK BLACK reminds me of three down strokes, like writing an 'm' down. I didn't give much explanation as to why each one represents the letter it does, but ultimately just come up with your own reason/association and it will stick better. A tip that might help is that I like to see the BLACK as a 1, and the RED as a 0. So by default a 0 comes before a 1. So think of RED RED RED as a 000, basically the very beginning. Hence why it's the very first consonant letter. Makes sense?
- RED, RED, RED = B
- RED, RED, BLACK = C, K
- RED, BLACK, RED = D, T
- RED, BLACK, BLACK = F
- BLACK, RED, RED = G,J
- BLACK, RED, BLACK = L
- BLACK, BLACK, RED = N
- BLACK, BLACK, BLACK = M
VOWELS
These might be a bit trickier to learn, but again, just come up with a reason, or association, as to why that sound might be represented by the sequence of colors. An example might be: RED RED RED is like 000, which reminds me of the "oo" sound. Got it?
- RED, RED, RED = "oo" (as in book)
- RED, RED, BLACK = "ih" (as in hit)
- RED, BLACK, RED = "ah" (as in bat)
- RED, BLACK, BLACK = "uh" (as in duck)
- BLACK, RED, RED = "yu" (as in duke)
- BLACK, RED, BLACK = "o" (as in hot)
- BLACK, BLACK, RED = "ee" (as in beet)
- BLACK, BLACK, BLACK = "i" (as in eye)
Hope that helps! Look for a full, complete tutorial on how to memorize the whole deck of cards in the near future. Get settled on this first and then you'll be more than ready to tackle a whole deck in no time!