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A classic, from David Mamet by way of Ricky Jay—pure con with a dash of sleight-of-hand.
The Mark: the proprietor or till-jockey of a small business.
Props needed: envelope, small piece of folded newspaper, nineteen one-dollar bills.
The Grifter enters a place of business, and, handing over a wad of bills, asks the Mark if he can have a twenty-dollar bill in exchange for twenty singles. The Mark opens the register and hands over the twenty, then sets to counting the singles he's just been handed.
The Grifter apparently tucks twenty inside the envelope and seals it: at about that moment, the Mark finishes counting the bills and says, "There's only nineteen dollars here."
The Grifter gives the Mark a pained look. "Are you sure?"
"Yup."
"Ah, jeez—here, you hold this: I've got another single in the car..."
Whereupon the Grifter hands the Mark the envelope (thus extending his confidence) and walks out the door. The Mark feels utterly secure, because he's got the twenty bucks right there... but the Grifter gets in his car and drives away.
When the Mark opens the envelope, he finds only a piece of folded newspaper.
This is a small-time con, admittedly—the Grifter's profit may be only one dollar minus the cost of the envelope. But human nature being what it is, eight times out of ten the Mark is going to hand the Grifter back his nineteen dollars and say "Here, count it yourself..." |
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