June6
The Shell Game
This classic series in which being a good gambler is somehow a superpower was a hit in the early 80’s and made a star of Chow Yun Fat.
The theme is continued in the God of Gambler’s series a few years later.
‘The Monte’ Category
May23
Three Nipple Monte
From the website, Overheard In New York
Son #1: People at the circus hide their nipples.
Son #2: What about the three-nippled man?
Son #1: He shows his one at a time.
Son #2: So how can you be sure he isn’t playing three nipple Monte?
May6
Big on the internet
My interactive game, Three Card Monte, is getting noticed online.
We’ve been featured…
…on facebook
…on the ABC statewide drive blog
…on the magic news site Itricks
….on twitter (thanks daniel)
and on the super hip magician’s forum Ellusionist.
May1
Interactive Video
I’m very proud of this new interactive game.
With my good friends Tom, Yao, David and Vin, we have created an interactive experience that allows you to play Three Disk Monte exactly as it is played on the streets.
Even if you manage to beat the game, can you beat the grifters?
Click below to find out!
April9
Three Card Monte in the Sixties
I met up with an old broad tosser yesterday.
He worked throughout London in the sixties. He came for Italy for the world cup and ended up staying for a few years hitting the race tracks and football games. On derby day, his seven man mob would pull in 5000 pounds between them, making 700 pounds a man.
At the time, you had to ‘buy the police a drink’ to run the game. If the police were honest and you were arrested, the fine was 50 pound because it was easier to convict for ‘obstructing a footpath’ rather than gambling/scamming in public.
He had excellent technique but, surprisingly, was not a fan of the popular US playing cards. He prefers crown and queen slipper. He also preferred the two bend (one concave, one convex) because it keeps the cards flatter.
Magicians and monte fans will be interested to know that his lugs were very small with more of a crease then a bend. He’d bend each corner up creating a small, visible crease. In the context of a game, they looked a little dog eared.
March26
Dog playing the shell game
January27
The Magic Newswire
Listen to me ramble on about stuff on this interview on The Magic Newswire.
I WAS going to offer special thanks to Tim Ellis for setting the interview up until he created this awful photo for his blog.
Awful. Just awful.
January16
Hütchenspiel
I don’t need who this is, but this video is the best and most accurate portrayal of the shell game with matchboxes as it is done on the streets today. Most performances you will see of this will be little more than magic tricks dressed up.
This is the real deal.
December12
Whats a meta for?
I receive news alerts on all sorts of scam subjects.
It beats doing actual research.
One of my keywords is Three Card Monte. So every time the phrase gets used in the media, I hear about it.
The recent LAPD bust of monte players is the first time in months they media has used Three Card Monte to talk about Three Card Monte.
Usually it’s a half arsed metaphor or similar. Enjoy these pearlers..
“Like playing a game of three-card monte, credit card issuers have switched the rules quickly…” - Examiner.com
“how Rupert Murdoch’s moral sell outs committing journalistic three card monte to advance a political agenda…” - News Hound
“Mr. Bruno fidgeted throughout a tirade by Mr. Spitzer, who accused Senate Republicans of playing “a game of three-card monte” with the public’s money” -New York Times
“[Global Warming misinformation is] being done incrementally with the finesse of someone who is trying to fleece you in three-card Monte.” - The Saratogian
“US keeps falling for Iran’s nuclear three-card monte game” - New York Daily Times
“The Washington Post editorial board finally catches up to the big three-card Monte that Nancy Pelosi conducted in passing her ObamaCare bill over week ago.” - Hot Air
“The share buyback program has been a three card Monte type scam since the beginning.” - NetworkWorld.com
“It’s the three-card monte of football, designed to confuse defenders and give the backs open running lanes.” - Troy Record
“… Prime Minister Gordon Brown—in an electorally-suicidal game of three-card bailout monte—calls the deal with RBS and Lloyds Banking Group a boon for the …” -DealBreaker.Com (blog)
“…The young quarterback played a game of three-card monty as he confused the entire Western Michigan defense and all of the cameramen shooting video…” -Ravenna Record Courier
These hustling hacks mix their metaphors more erratically than a New York Three Card Monte grifter.
