three-card monte
Sidewalk card scam
Three-card monte is a street hustle disguised as a game.
The dealer shows three cards—typically two black and one red—shuffles them face down, and invites bets on which is the red card.
The game appears to test perception but is rigged through sleight of hand and often shills who pretend to win.
Don't fall for three-card monte in Times Square.
By extension, any deceptive scheme with an obvious mark: The whole deal was three-card monte from the start.
- thimblerigCup-shuffling confidence trick
- shell gameStreet swindle with cups
- scamDishonest money-making scheme
- confidence trickFraud exploiting victim's trust
- short conBrief deception for money
tosser · cards · legerdemain · sleight of hand · shill · swindle · crooked dealer · street game · street corner · street hustle · palming · misdirection · grifter · con artist · find the lady · flimflam · trickery · con
- tricksmagic trick, coin trick, rope trick, parlor trick, party trick
- conscon, scam, swindle, grift, hustle
- scamsscam, scams, fraud, frauds, swindle
- street consshell game, thimblerig, cups and balls, find the lady, street hustle
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- feintsfeint, fake, juke, deke, head fake
three-card montefair game
Legitimate object of pursuit
square deal · fair bet · blackjack · state lottery · level playing field
three-card montefair dealing
Honest, equitable conduct principle
straight shooting · above-board · honest work · square dealing
card, three, third, triad, triplet, trinity, threefold, thirdly, triplicate