marked cards
Secretly altered deck
Marked cards are playing cards with subtle alterations on their backs—tiny scratches, ink variations, or pattern irregularities—that allow a cheater to identify card values while they appear normal to other players.
The term extends metaphorically to any situation where someone has secret advance knowledge: With marked cards like that, no wonder he always wins the contract.
- cheatingDeceptive rule-breaking
- stacked deckPre-arranged cards for cheating
- deckShip's flat surface
- pokerHearth implement for coals
- scamDishonest money-making scheme
hustler · cold deck · casino · sleight · rigged · con · gambler · shaved · crimped · luminous · ink · dealer · tell · shark · crooked · juice · reader · bent
- playing cardsace, jack, king, queen, joker
- magic propsmagic wand, wand, top hat, trick deck, cups and balls
- street consshell game, thimblerig, cups and balls, find the lady, street hustle
- con propsfake ID, fake badge, fake passport, counterfeit money, counterfeit bills
- gambling cheatsstacked deck, collusion, mechanic, crooked dealer, holdout
- gambling crimesillegal gambling, illegal casino, match fixing, race fixing, point shaving