chancers
Those who speculate
Chancers are people who take risks or try to get something through audacity rather than merit.
The term is chiefly British and often carries disapproval—a chancer exploits opportunities without having earned them, or attempts things they're not qualified for: He's just a chancer who talked his way into the job.
The singular is chancer.
Those who deceive for profit
- schemersCrafty plot makers
- operatorsThose who manage equipment
- griftersPetty swindlers, confidence tricksters
- graftersCheats or tireless workers
sharks · tricksters · con artists · scammers · swindlers · carpetbaggers · profiteers · exploiters
Those who bet
- puntersPeople who bet
- speculatorsThose betting on markets
- adventurersThose seeking exciting experiences
- daredevilsThose who seek thrills recklessly
plungers · high-rollers · thrill-seekers · venturers · wildcatters · fortune-hunters · gold-diggers · prospectors
Shamelessly bold
- cheekyPlayfully disrespectful
- impudentDisrespectfully bold
- boldCourageous and daring
- cockyExcessively self-assured
brash · nervy · ballsy · pushy · presumptuous · forward · shameless · impertinent
Parasitic flatworms or lucky accidents
- longshotsUnlikely winners
- wildcardsUnpredictable factors or elements
- dark horsesUnlikely but possible winners
- lucky breaksUnearned advantageous outcomes
pot luck · roll of the dice · toss-up · crapshoot · hit-or-miss · iffy · dicey · touch-and-go
hustlers
Those who deceive for profit
- schemersCrafty plot makers
- operatorsThose who manage equipment
- griftersPetty swindlers, confidence tricksters
grafters · sharks · tricksters · con artists · scammers · swindlers · carpetbaggers · profiteers · exploiters · freeloaders
gamblers
Those who bet
- puntersPeople who bet
- speculatorsThose betting on markets
- adventurersThose seeking exciting experiences
daredevils · plungers · high-rollers · thrill-seekers · venturers · wildcatters · fortune-hunters · gold-diggers · prospectors · dreamers
brazen
Shamelessly bold
cocky · brash · nervy · ballsy · pushy · presumptuous · forward · shameless · impertinent · insolent
flukes
Parasitic flatworms or lucky accidents
- longshotsUnlikely winners
- wildcardsUnpredictable factors or elements
- dark horsesUnlikely but possible winners
lucky breaks · pot luck · roll of the dice · toss-up · crapshoot · hit-or-miss · iffy · dicey · touch-and-go · uncertain
- no chanceEmphatic refusal of possibility
- last chanceUltimate remaining opportunity
- second chanceRenewed opportunity after failure
- by chanceOccurring without design
- take a chanceAccept risk willingly
- not a chanceEmphatic refusal of possibility