Three Card Monte

We cannot leave the general subject of card table artifice without giving some consideration to the ancient and honorable game whose title furnishes the headline for this paragraph. Only three cards are used, but the more players the merrier. The banker, or dealer, shows the faces of any three cards, generally using one ace, and deals or throws them face down in a row on the table. Now he lays even money or perhaps two to one, that no player can pick out the ace. In appearance it is the simplest and easiest proposition a better could desire. In reality it is pure chance or accident if he calls the turn. The cards are thrown so slowly, and apparently so openly, that it seems like robbing the dealer to cover his odds.

This is really one of the most subtle and ingenious gambling games ever devised to win money honestly with cards. We use the word "honestly" in the sense that it may be applied to qualify any procedure in a game of chance, which gives the player a known percentage for or against him. In this instance it is two to one in favor of the dealer; but as the dealer lays the odds of two to one, and the player keeps his eyes open, it would indicate that the player has the better chance of winning. The dealer lays out the three cards, and the player takes his choice. One of them is the ace, and there is no hocus-pocus after the deal. Should the player select the ace he wins the money. But the player's chances are lessened just because he watches the deal. Were he to make the selection at hap-hazard, his chances of one to two, against the dealer's odds of two to one, would make it an even break. The banker's advantage lies in his ability to make the deal or throw. The cards are usually crimped lengthwise, the faces being concave, so the dealer may pick them up easily by the ends. There is no other advantage in the crimp, and the game is sometimes dealt with straight cards. When being crimped the cards are placed together, so that all will be bent alike. The deal or "throw" is performed as follows:

Lay the three crimped cards in a row on the table face down. Pick up one of the indifferent cards, by the ends, near the right side corners, with the right hand thumb and second finger, and show the face of this card to the players. Now place this card fairly over the ace, letting the left sides of the two cards touch, and pick up the ace with the thumb and the third finger. Now the right hand holds the two cards, their left side edges touching, and about half an inch of space between the opposite sides; the top card being held by the second finger and thumb, and the bottom card, or ace, by the third finger and thumb. Show the ace to the company, keep the right hand suspended about six inches from the table, pick up the third card with the left hand, and show it to the company. (See Fig. 62.) Now turn the faces down, move the right hand over towards the left and with a slight downward swing release the upper card, letting it drop flatly on the left side of the table by quickly withdrawing the right hand to its former position; the rapid withdrawal getting the lower card out of the way. As the right second finger releases the top card it instantly seizes the lower card and the third finger is straightened out, so when the right hand is again stationary at its first position over the table, the players may see that the finger that held the upper card is still doing duty, and the finger which held the lower card is now idle. Now move the left hand over towards the right, and drop its card there, then again move the right hand over and drop the last card between the other two.

As described above, the blind takes place in the first movement or throw. The right hand apparently drops the bottom card first, but in reality the top is thrown. The action is neither hurried or slow, and especially, not jerky. There is no hesitation after the faces are turned down, and the movements of both hands are made uniformly and gracefully while the three cards are being laid out.

There is very little difficulty in acquiring the ability to throw the top card first, or in changing the positions of the second and third fingers as the top card falls, and a little practice at the game enables an amateur to afford endless amusement or entertainment to his friends with this cunning play. The proper way to introduce it is to make the throw several times in the natural order, that is, by dropping the under card first, while explaining the game to the company. The ace should be picked up by either hand in the order it happens to fall, and be held at either the top or bottom position in the right hand, and the faces shown before each throw. Then the blind throw is made and the guessing and fun begins. When the deal is performed by a finished artist, it is absolutely impossible for the keenest eye to detect the ruse. Even when the process, or nature of the blind is understood, the player has no greater advantage save that he knows enough not to bet. The particular card cannot be followed with the eye, and if the knowing player were to bet on a blind throw once, the dealer can make his next throw regular. The dealer himself is as hopelessly lost, if guessing against another who can throw equally as well.

A second method of making the throw or deal is to hold the two right hand cards between the second finger and thumb only, the right third finger taking no part in the action and being held rather ostentatiously straight out. When the top card is thrown, the left little finger is moved in under the end of the third finger, and the tip catches and holds the corner of the lower card, while the second finger releases both, so as to let the top card fall. Then the second finger instantly retakes its original position, and the little finger is released. The action of the little finger is completely covered by the position of the third finger. This method is perhaps more subtle, as it appears quite impossible to throw the top card without dropping both.

An addition to the game is made by putting in a crimp or upturn in a corner of the ace. Then several throws are made, and a player finds he can locate the ace "just for fun" every time. When perfect confidence is inspired, and the cupidity of the player tempts him to cover the odds, a throw is made, the player selects the card with the corner turned, and is amazed to find he has missed the "cinch." In a confidence game, the corner of the ace is turned by a "capper," who seizes an opportunity when the careless (?) dealer turns to expectorate, or on any pretext neglects his game for a moment. But the crimp can be put in, taken out, and again put in the corner of another card during the procedure of the throw.

To crimp the corner, pick up the ace with the second finger and thumb of right hand, second finger at middle of end, and let the third finger tip rest on top of the card close to second finger. Then catch the corner with the little finger and squeeze it in, pressing down with third finger tip, and the corner is crimped upwards. The corner is turned down again by slipping the third finger tip over the end, and pulling up; and pressing down on the corner with the little finger tip. Either action can be performed in an instant as the card is picked up. Now to make the "corner" throw the ace is picked up, shown, and crimped, then the second card is picked up with the third finger and thumb and shown, the left hand picks up and shows the third card, and a natural throw is made which leaves the ace in the middle. Then the right hand picks up the right hand card, shows it, crimps the corner, picks up the ace, shows it, and the left hand picks up the last card. Now the right hand holds the two turned corner cards, but the fact that the upper one is crimped cannot be seen because of the positions of the fingers, even when the face of the under one, which is the ace, is shown. This time a blind throw is made, the right hand dropping the top card first with its corner turned, then the left hand card is thrown, and long ere this the right hand has turned down the corner of the ace and it is dropped innocently in the middle.

The process of turning and reversing the corners requires as much skill and cleverness as making the throw. All details of the game should be perfected before it is attempted in company, and nothing but careful practice before a mirror will enable an amateur to perform the action in anything like a satisfactory manner. But there is not a single card feat in the whole calendar that will give as good returns for the amount of practice required, or that will mystify as greatly, or cause as much amusement, or bear so much repetition, as this little game; and for these reasons we believe it worthy of unstinted effort to master thoroughly.