Best patter? My girlfriend! She has amazing hands....

I think Eugene Burger has some of the best scripted presentations I know of. Also Rene Lavand has some great lines and a masterful delivery. Malone is fast and humorous, but Burger and Lavand are the ones I tend to emulate now.

What a good but hard question to answer...

I really like Gazzos patters and his confidence so if I have to say one I would say Gazzo. Michael Finney and Bill Malone as well as many others are also doing really nice work.

~Atte

It's probably a pedantic and unnecessary distinction to make, but none of the people I would list as having the best presentations do what I would call "patter." Eugene Burger, Penn & Teller, and Ricky Jay, for instance, have some of the best presentations in the world as far as I'm concerned, but it seems to diminish what they accomplish to call their words "patter."

I believe the term originates as an abbreviation of "Pater Noster," which is another name for the Lord's Prayer, and conveys a sense that the words are repeated mechanically without any sort of emotion or sincerity behind them. Even if the script is precise and repeated verbatim in each performance, it should convey some emotion or at least some interest in what's happening. So I don't much care for the word.

But to answer the question, as I said, I'd put Eugene Burger, Ricky Jay, and P&T up at the top of my list, along with several others.

Eugene Burger and Rene Lavand were 2 masters !
I'm also fond of Max Maven presentations. All is very well scripted and pronounced in an extremely limpid way.

Whilst this is all down to personal taste I always thought Daryl's presentations were first class he could make the most boring trick in the world entertaining, he really was a true magical legend..... sadly missed.

The rule of thumb since becoming aware of the 'Funny Characters' within the professional league was, Michael Finney is one to watch.
At some point in the distant past, I briefly saw a performance of his and I did find him amusing. On the strength of that performance, I bought a DVD of his stand up material.
I was friggin horrified.
Filmed in Lake Taho, he was 'Performing Stand-up' in a room filled with the infamous L&L crowd, you'd really to see this to get how shockingly bad it was.
The difference between stage persona and reality is brought into stark focus here.
The point brilliantly made in this thread about "Pater Noster" is never better demonstrated in Finny's example of learned lines and actions. Well rehearsed, honed, polished on stage he's brilliant. As writer and performer of his own observational material .... Dear god.

I'd say watch it to see how bad he was but why put yourself through that.
I asked for a refund from the magic dealer I'd bought it from and got one no questions asked. Made me think he may also have watched it.

Eugene Burger, Daryl, Michael Finney

I love Greg Wilson! He's just so funny, confident and cool

I'm surprised that no one mentioned Harry Anderson.
IMO Pop Hayden delivers fine patter.