Learn something new: memory techniques – learn to memorise a deck of cards

How is it possible to remember 52 cards in the right order? The answer is neither talent nor a photographic memory – it is a system, and it can be learned.

In this Learn something new episode Jan Sindre goes through the memory techniques behind it: how you build a memory palace, how each card is turned into a distinct image, and how those images are placed along a route you already know. We also look at the PAO system, where every card gets a person, an action and an object – so that several cards can be packed into a single memory.

The point is not the deck of cards in itself. It is understanding why the brain remembers images and places so much better than numbers and symbols – and how you can use the same trick on names, course material, shopping lists and presentations.

The content is practical knowledge you can practise yourself. Sources and further reading are given in the episode.

Main topics

• Memory technique and memorisation
• The memory palace (the method of loci)
• Encoding cards as images
• The PAO system (person, action, object)
• Practice and progression
• Carrying it over into everyday life and study

Questions this episode answers

• How do some people remember an entire deck of cards in the right order?
• What is a memory palace, and how do you build one?
• How do you turn a playing card into an image you remember?
• What is the PAO system, and why does it make memorising faster?
• How long does it take to learn this?
• Can the techniques be used for anything other than decks of cards?

Key points

• Remembering a deck of cards is not about talent, but about a system you can learn.
• The brain remembers images and places far better than abstract symbols.
• With a memory palace you attach information to places you already know well.
• The same techniques work on names, numbers, course material and presentations.