Review: Bite Me by Paul Gertner

So why is Paul Gertner, one of the top working magicians in the world and a respected magic creator, ripping out chunks of playing cards with his mouth? In this offbeat effect that has the edgy appeal of "playing card to mouth," but with more teeth, Gertner allows you to take a bite out of a deck of cards and find a spectator's selected card. The effect looks great and Gertner offers superb handling and a great theme.

Jaws

A spectator selects and signs a card that is returned to the deck. You briefly talk about ridiculous lawsuits and call attention to a Joker that in the small print reads: "These cards should not be thrown, inserted or ingested."

With the word "ingested" firmly in mind, you bring the deck to your mouth and take a bite out of it and swallow the pieces. Every card in the deck is shown to have a bite taken out of it.

You then reveal a piece of bitten off card in your mouth and it's part of the selected card. Using your mouth, you place the piece back into the deck and then bring out the spectator's signed card, fully restored.

Teethmarks

The feat of biting a chunk out the deck offers an unusual twist that is surprising to spectators. I love the warning on the joker playing card, a custom printed card on Bicycle stock, which lends to the effect. The effect is an entertaining one and prior to your performance, there's little chance that spectators will have ever seen any magic trick like it.

There is some preparation and if you create your props for several performances ahead of time, you can reset in less than a minute. Of course, because the cards are in your mouth, this is no trick to perform around food or in restaurants. The entire gimmicked deck is in Bicycle stock.

On the accompanying DVD, Gertner offers thorough instructions. His handling, in particular, is superb. Although Gertner is working with a significantly gimmicked deck, it appears to be a normal one as he shuffles, fans and even spreads it (on both sides).

For those of you who teach magic through DVDs, study Paul Gertner's thorough manner in which he thoughtfully walks through every step and demonstrates and explains every nuance.

I like this one although I'm not sure I would ever perform it. But in "Bite Me," Paul Gertner presents a fresh, novel and entertaining, and even biting effect.

MSRP: (US) $35

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