How to Use the 2-Card Shadow System

The Shadow System is an advanced mnemonic technique for memorizing decks of playing cards. It’s allows you to memorize two cards at a time, similar to the Ben System, but it only requires 1,352 mnemonic images instead of the 2,704 images required for a full Ben System.

The Shadow System is used by some of the top competitive memorizers, including Lance Tschirhart and Alex Mullen.

For the original explanation of how it works, see the Shadow System forum thread.

Here’s a video explanation from YouTube:

Here are some more resources to help you create your own Shadow System:

• Shadow System Worksheet
• Shadow System, need help with numbers beyond 1,000
• Someone help me understand the Shadow System
• Posts tagged Shadow System

Alternatives to the Shadow System include:

• The Major System
• The Dominic System
• The Shaper System
• The Ben System
• The PAO System

If you are new to memory techniques, watch this video to get an idea about the basic differences between the systems:

If you have questions about how the Shadow System works, ask them in the forum, and people will be able to assist you.