Sub-Genius Center Tear by Nick Diffatte

Does anyone really need another center tear?

The honest answer is probably not, but Nick Diffatte has just given us one anyway.

I’ve actually been looking forward to this, and I was waiting for it to become available because I really liked Nick’s last book, Offbeat, and this center tear received rave reviews from big names such as:

"Elegant, practical, and ingenious. The cleanest, most bulletproof solution to the 'Center Tear' problem." - Teller

"It's rare to find something truly new in the world of billets that's worth your time and attention - but this is one of those rare exceptions. Nick has developed a method of tearing and manipulating the billet that is completely natural, utterly deceptive, and allows for an invisible peek unlike anything I've seen. Even when he explained the workings, I wasn't prepared for how seamlessly the information sprung into view. Only a mind like Nick's could have created something this devious." - Colin McLeod

"This is the first real Center Tear innovation in decades, with an innovative feature no other Center Tear has." - John Lovick

With all of these heavy hitters backing this, I just had to get it; even though I found what I thought was the perfect center tear in “In The Spotlight” by Christopher Carter.

When I saw it pop up on the site, I’ll admit I was a little shocked by the price. $45 for a twelve-page booklet teaching one technique seemed like a really steep price. Especially considering Offbeat was only $10 more and contained sixteen full routines. But then I saw those quotes above, pulled out my wallet, and bought it.

Here’s the thing… those comments are true, but I don’t think this is the best center tear. Let’s look at why.

• It is done with a 3x5 index card - You can do it with a half index card, but I don’t think you can do it easily with a business card because the thickness of the paper is a little too much for one move. Personally, I think the big size of the index card makes it feel like there’s more you could be hiding. The index card also just takes up more space which makes me think the audience will remember it more than if you wrote on a business card; that’s purely speculation, but it feels right. After they write on the index card, they fold it into fourths, but the size of an index card folded into fourths still feels too big compared to a business card folded into fourths. It feels like it should be folded one more time for the information to be “locked in.” The information feels more vulnerable on the index card. It’s hard to describe why.

• The strange additional fold - As they write on the index card, they will see a fold that bisects the top half of the card in a strange way. It’s obvious and strange, and I worry spectators may not know how they are meant to fold it back up because of it.

• Only two tears - This sort of relates to the size of the index card again, but there are only two tears made before the peek. It just doesn’t feel right. The torn pieces are too big to feel like the information has been destroyed. The torn pieces are about the size of a business card folded into fourths. It just doesn’t feel like it’s been “destroyed.” Now after your peek you can tear them all again which I highly recommend, but I just wish they were smaller.

• The cozy handling - The move required before and after the peek has to be done behind your hands. I don’t love the fact that there is movement behind the hand. It’s a subtle movement, but even still, you can feel the tension of those moments behind the hands.

• The paper needs to be square to get the peek - Once the pieces are torn and right before you get your peek, you have to ensure the pieces are square otherwise the peek area won’t open how it’s supposed to. This may not seem like a big deal, but it requires you to be a little too exact in a process that should feel totally carefree and random

Don't get me wrong, there are definitely benefits as well:

• You can do the moves with dry hands - This is never really a problem for me, but if you suffer with dry hands, you’ll still be able to do this.

• You can “see all of the pieces” as you get your peek - This is a pretty cool feature of the tear. The pieces are seen at your fingertips as you get your peek. It’s one of the most deceptive things about the tear.

• You can show empty hands before and after the peek - Once you’ve torn the pieces, you can casually show both hands empty, and then directly after your peek, you can show them again. In other words, the peek area opens up and then closes again.

• As the ad copy says, you don’t have to peek while you tear the index card - Even though this is true, I don’t quite agree with it because right after you peek, you should tear the pieces one more time. So even though the peek doesn’t happen during the tear, it does happen between tear phases.

I will say Nick has definitely found a unique take on the center tear. There’s an aspect of it that is totally new, and it allows for the best parts of the center tear. You get the peek without ever having to palm anything thanks to this clever method. This is the thing all the pros above were speaking about. But it still suffers from the things most billet peeks suffer from. Namely, the slight bit of extra tension in a few key moments, and the need to look towards the billet to get your peek. Sure, that moment is motivated, but humans are really good at being aware of people’s eyeline, and there’s just no way to get around the fact that you have to look in your hand at one point. This is the reason I really loved Christopher Carter’s take because it leaves you with a piece you steal away and can view at any moment after the pieces have already been handed off and thrown away. Nick’s peek doesn’t allow for this delayed peek in this way.

Now that said, at the end of the booklet, Nick actually discusses two ways he has covered a peek from a classic Annemann stolen center tear, and both of those ideas are super clever. In truth, I think both of those options are more deceptive than the main peek being taught.

Here’s the thing: it’s a clever peek. Audiences won’t know how you peeked the information, but they can’t help but feel the exact moment that the peek occurred. I think this is the main reason they decided not to include a performance of the peek anywhere. As a special treat for all of you lovely people who have read this far, here’s a video performance of the peek. I think it will be the best thing to help you determine if this is the right peek for you.

If you collect center tears and want to learn a really cool and clever one that’s fun to practice, then you’ll really like this! If you’re looking for a solid center tear as your worker, this is also a great option! If you’re looking for the best center tear there ever was, I think there are better options. Especially for the price.

It is available here:

https://www.tannens.com/products/nick-diffatte-sub-genius-center-tear?_pos=1&_sid=6106f67fd&_ss=r