Fully Stacked: The Si Stebbins System

An introduction to one of the best, and oldest, mathematical card stacks ever invented!

Greetings and welcome to Fully Stacked! In this monthly column, I plan to explore the various forms of card magic that employ a stack of some sort. In magical parlance, a “stack” refers to any intentional prearrangement of cards. In other words, the magician has secretly organised a set of cards in a specific sequence to help him perform his card miracles. A “stacked deck” can be partial, where only certain cards are prearranged, or full, in which every card is in a known position. This column will focus on full-deck stacks.

I’ll look at some of the most popular stack systems and delve into the various techniques and intricacies of using and memorising them. I’ll also share some of my original card tricks utilising a stack. So, join me on this fascinating journey as we unlock the secrets of full-deck stacks!