How to Perform the Three Card Monte Sleight-of-Hand Trick

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Learn this classic trick and how to recognize scammers with our guide
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The 3-card monte, also known as “Follow the Lady” or the “Three Card Trick,” is one of the oldest tricks in the book. While it started out as a street scam for people to swindle money, it’s also a really easy sleight-of-hand trick that’s easy to perform for your friends. Keep reading, and we’ll walk you through how to do the trick as well as how the scam works and why you shouldn't play for money.

How does the three-card monte trick work?

  1. Lay out a red queen and 2 black cards in a row.
  2. Tell the player to follow the queen and flip the cards face-down.
  3. Pick up one of the black cards with your thumb and middle finger.
  4. Use the same hand to pick up the queen with your thumb and ring finger.
  5. Pretend to toss the queen down but let go of the black card instead.
  6. Toss and rearrange the cards on the table.
  7. Have the player point out the queen, but reveal the black card in its place.
Section 1 of 3:

How to Do the 3-Card Monte

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  1. Take one of the red queens and 2 other black cards out from a standard deck. Typically, the other 2 cards are the Jokers or black Kings, but any cards will work for the trick. Lay the cards face-up in a line so the queen is in the middle. [1]
    • While 3-card monte usually uses the Queen of Hearts, any red card will work. Just choose a card that stands out from the other two.
    • Bend the cards vertically down the middle so they’re easier to pick up and perform the trick.
  2. Choose a person to play the game. Let them know that if they guess where the queen is after you mix up the cards, they’ll win the game. Tell them to watch the queen very closely so they can follow where it goes. After that, then flip the cards upside-down.
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  3. Pick up the black card first by the top and bottom edges with your thumb and middle finger. Then, use the same hand to pick up the queen, but hold it between your thumb and ring finger instead. [2]
    • Use your other hand to pick up the remaining card.
    • Reveal the cards to the player so they see the queen is below the other card.
  4. Move your hand to the side and let go with your middle finger to throw the black card down on the table. If you’re quick enough, the player will think you just put down the queen. [3]
    • To add a little more flair to your trick, let go of the queen first and pick it up with your other hand. Then, throw the queen back down on the table and pick it up with your original hand. After that, then throw down the black card.
    • Before you perform the trick, practice tossing down the card so it looks natural. Be sure to use the same hand motion when you put down the other card so it doesn’t look any different.
  5. Keep picking up and tossing the cards down on the table for a few seconds until they’re thoroughly mixed up. [4]
  6. Tell the player it’s their turn to find the queen. If they fell for the trick, they’ll have followed the wrong card during the trick and choose one of the black cards. [5]
  7. Once they select a card, flip it over to reveal that it’s one of the black cards. Then, flip over the remaining cards to show them where the queen actually is.
    • While it’s rare, there’s a chance an experienced player may find the queen right away. Pretend like you planned for it to happen, and try the trick again.
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Section 2 of 3:

How does the 3-card monte scam work?

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  1. Just before a dealer does the 3-card monte, they’ll tell players they can win double their money if they can find the queen. Because it seems easy to pick the right card, victims of the scam think they can win and wager cash. Then, the dealer performs the trick, and fools the player into losing their money. [6]
  2. Even if other players are at a 3-card monte table, they’re usually involved in the scam too. They’ll pretend they don’t know each other, but they’re all working together to get money from players. They may be playing and winning, which can trick someone into thinking the game is winnable. Others may approach people walking by and encourage them to play. [7]
  3. To make the game seem easier, a scammer may slightly bend the corner of the queen so players can follow it more easily. However, they’ll bend the corner of one of the black cards when they pick it up and toss it so it looks like the queen. Then while you’re distracted, the dealer will fix the bent corner on the queen so it looks normal again. [8]
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Section 3 of 3:

3-Card Monte FAQs

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  1. It depends on the local laws. In most places, gambling is illegal and performing the 3-card monte in public is not allowed. [9] In other places, it may only be illegal if someone wagers money on the game. [10] To be safe, only perform the trick for friends without taking any bets or wagers.
  2. If you have to pay or wager money, then don’t play the game because scammers will try to rig it so you lose. If someone is just performing a card trick for fun, then you’re fine to play. [11]
  3. There’s always a small chance that you’ll pick the right card, but scammers will do everything they can to make you lose. Even if you win, someone working with the dealer may make a higher bid and refuse to pay out to anyone who bid less.
  4. The 3-card monte trick is named after the classic Spanish gambling game Monte. While the trick has nothing to do with the original game, the name makes the trick sound more legitimate instead of a scam.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/p4f9LWCwBFM?t=2
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/p4f9LWCwBFM?t=85
      3. ↑ https://www.pagat.com/misc/monte.html
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/VVC7bU2bL2U?t=57
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/p4f9LWCwBFM?t=112
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/VVC7bU2bL2U?t=20
      7. ↑ https://www.pagat.com/misc/monte.html
      8. ↑ https://youtu.be/p4f9LWCwBFM?t=39
      9. ↑ https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/NYCadmin/0-0-0-128129
      1. ↑ http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0800-0899/0817/Sections/0817.28.html
      2. ↑ https://www.pagat.com/misc/monte.html

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