shell game
noun1
A game of skill which requires the bettor to guess which of three small cups (or shells) a pea-sized object is concealed under, after the party operating the game rapidly rearranges them, providing opportunity for sleight-of-hand trickery.
- Another common form of short con is the shell game. This scam has the advantage of giving the criminal the ability to rip off many marks all at one location.2009, Michael Benson, Cons and Frauds, Infobase, →ISBN, page 21:
2
Any confidence scheme, especially one involving the rapid movement of investment funds to a location beyond recovery.
- Synonyms
- thimblerig
- Related terms
- three-card monte