Times Square may have been three-card monte HQ in the 1980s and early 1990s, but con men used to set up the game all over well-traveled corners of New York City.
You’d see them put a cardboard box or crate upright on the sidewalk, shuffle three cards, and then convince a rube to place a bet.
The dealers haven’t been in Times Square for years. Was the game outlawed by the Guiliani administration? Did tourists finally realize they can’t win?
Three-card monte’s presence in Manhattan may have waned, but it’ll be back in full force eventually.
It’s been here since at least since the 19th century; a New York Times article from 1874 details the sad story of a three-card monte victim, a rich out-of-towner.
It’s a remarkably simple con: A mark bets that he can pick the money card out of three face-down cards. A shill usually comes along and acts like he’s on the mark’s side. But he’s not, and the house never loses.
Tags: card game scams, Guiliani years New York City, three card monte, Times Square cleanup, Times Square three-card monte, tourist scams in New York City
April 12, 2010 at 9:37 am |
It was in the 80s, around Times Square, I’d been looking so intently I had it down to a science. The noise, the bustle, the chatter didn’t disturb me, by then I knew where the card was. I placed my $20 down, he flicked it over…$20 dollars down the drain, as all around vicious laughter. I never tried to beat a non-beatable card game again. That’s for sure.
April 12, 2010 at 12:09 pm |
just a simple slight of hand actually wherein one of the 2 cards that are held in one hand is allowed to “float” off the top position when you think it’s the bottom card being placed down…sounds a lilttle confusing but those that have seen it can probably visualize it…Let’s play!!
April 12, 2010 at 2:52 pm |
Rube? Me a rube?
It was enforced out of existence. I forget the exact section of law. ‘Misrepresenting’ or something like that.
They’d let you win a few small bets, and then coax you into a bigger bet, then perform the magic, a sleight of hand.
I’ve also seen it used with a pea in a shell on Braodway. In old cowboy or Bowery Boys-type movies you’d see it but it got revived in the 80s. Hence the term ‘shell game’.
April 12, 2010 at 5:06 pm |
when i was a kid, my grandfather pointed out and showed me the hustle taking place during these games. i remember how times square had tons of them.
April 12, 2010 at 5:19 pm |
[...] the three-card monte players who would pack Times Square [Ephemeral [...]
April 12, 2010 at 6:13 pm |
I actually saw a guy set up three card monte when I had the displeasure of walking through Rockefeller plaza on Xmas day. It was almost cute to see the setup between fake Guccis and cologne.
April 12, 2010 at 7:38 pm |
“Displeasure of walking thru Rock Center on Christmas…? You gotta be a Grinch!
April 12, 2010 at 9:05 pm |
Same here ID, my mom was visiting and we were walking past the windows near Bergdorf’s–couldn’t believe it since it was the first time I’d ever seen the game live. i thought it was just in movies about NYC. There must have been 5 tables set up. My mom joked about how could anyone fall for it, and sure enough a minute later we saw a mom and daughter crying about losing 100 bucks. it was pretty depressing for christmas day.
April 15, 2010 at 4:18 am |
Heh. In the late ’70s there was a court ruling that three card monte was not illegal because it was not a game of chance. (If anyone wants to look up the specific decision, it’s in the New York Law Journal, somewhere between 1978 and the very beginning of 1980.)
Presumably this situation has been changed.