Who created the Redford stack?
Patrick Redford created the Redford stack and published it in his 2017 book *Temporarily Out of Order*, which covers the order, setup procedures, and dozens of routines.
Redford Stack – Full Card Order
The Redford stack is Patrick Redford's memorized deck order, presented in his book Temporarily Out of Order (2017). Redford designed it to look random while packing in practical features: the deck can be set from new-deck order, transforms into Si Stebbins or stay-stack configurations, and returns to Redford with the same setup sequence.
Alongside Tamariz, Aronson, and other modern systems, the Redford stack has become a popular choice for magicians who want a multipurpose memorized deck with a dedicated routine library. The full 52-card order is listed below—drill it in Mem Deck until recall is automatic.
Complete 52-card order
- Queen of Hearts
- 2 of Spades
- 5 of Diamonds
- 8 of Clubs
- Jack of Hearts
- King of Spades
- 10 of Hearts
- 7 of Clubs
- 4 of Diamonds
- Ace of Spades
- 8 of Hearts
- 5 of Clubs
- 2 of Diamonds
- Queen of Spades
- 9 of Hearts
- 6 of Clubs
- 3 of Diamonds
- 10 of Spades
- 7 of Hearts
- 4 of Clubs
- Ace of Diamonds
- Jack of Spades
- 9 of Spades
- 6 of Hearts
- 3 of Clubs
- King of Diamonds
- Queen of Diamonds
- 10 of Diamonds
- 7 of Spades
- 4 of Hearts
- Ace of Clubs
- Jack of Diamonds
- 8 of Spades
- 5 of Hearts
- 2 of Clubs
- 2 of Hearts
- Queen of Clubs
- 9 of Diamonds
- 6 of Spades
- 3 of Hearts
- King of Clubs
- 4 of Spades
- Ace of Hearts
- Jack of Clubs
- 8 of Diamonds
- 5 of Spades
- 3 of Spades
- King of Hearts
- 10 of Clubs
- 7 of Diamonds
- 6 of Diamonds
- 9 of Clubs
Learning tips
- Work through Redford's mnemonic peg system from the book alongside numeric drills—the book is built around learning this order efficiently.
- Practice both card-to-position and position-to-card modes; Redford's published routines often demand instant recall in either direction.
- Use Mem Deck's practice range to learn in quarters before tackling the full deck.
Frequently asked questions
What makes the Redford stack different?
Unlike a static memorized order, the Redford stack is designed to transform into other arrangements—Si Stebbins, stay stack, alternating red-black, and more—then return to Redford with the same sequence. It also sets up easily from a new deck.
How long does it take to memorize the Redford stack?
Most learners reach usable recall in four to eight weeks with daily practice. Redford's book includes a dedicated memorization system that many find faster than learning by rote alone.