Comments on: Talent and Skill Thesaurus: Sleight of Hand https://writershelpingwriters.net/2013/12/skills-talent-entry-sleight-hand-magic/ Helping writers become bestselling authors Mon, 29 Apr 2024 17:12:30 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 By: Gina Scott Roberts https://writershelpingwriters.net/2013/12/skills-talent-entry-sleight-hand-magic/#comment-88306 Thu, 15 May 2014 01:40:59 +0000 https://writershelpingwriters.net/?p=2147#comment-88306 Now this made me realize this is a skill a character I already have would have thanks to his upbringing but had not occurred to me.

I always find something useful in your thesauri!

]]> By: Monday Must-Reads [12/16/13] https://writershelpingwriters.net/2013/12/skills-talent-entry-sleight-hand-magic/#comment-19658 Tue, 17 Dec 2013 04:35:42 +0000 https://writershelpingwriters.net/?p=2147#comment-19658 […] Skills and Talent Entry: Sleight-of-hand | WRITERS HELPING WRITERSWRITERS HELPING WRITERS […]

]]> By: James David Ellen (call me David) https://writershelpingwriters.net/2013/12/skills-talent-entry-sleight-hand-magic/#comment-19631 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 23:08:50 +0000 https://writershelpingwriters.net/?p=2147#comment-19631 Before:

The three sharps were an effective team who always sized up their crowd before suggesting ‘monte.’ They played two kinds of monte. Their preference was three-card monte, a notorious and profitable swindle that baited foolish marks into choosing the money card. The money card was usually a red queen, one of three cards dealt from a deck, and then quickly rearranged after showing the mark that it was one of the three. Arnett shuffled the cards with uncommon skill.

If their nose detected a skeptical bunch, they would deal Mexican monte, a game brought back in 1848 by veterans of the Mexican-American War. They played this game until their marks were drunk, and then switched to three-card monte.

After
“Look, you gents,” Arnett said to Spillman and Jergamin soon after they set up shop in Worden’s store, “You messed up bad down at Elk City and Hell Gate. Now I’m going to tell you again how we do this.”

“But we’ve been practicing with our cards!” Spillman whined. “I’m getting pretty good at shuffling.”

“You’ll never be as good as me,” Arnett said. Then he fumbled a deck of cards and several fell on the floor. He bent down and picked them up, looking sheepish while he slipped the red queen into his coatsleeve unobserved. “See, you don’t want your mark to think you’re a ‘monte sharp.’ You want them to think I’m as dumb as you.”

“I don’t drop my cards on the floor,” Spillman whimpered.

“You just proved my point. Size up your crowd, see? If they’re a pack of fools, suggest Three-card Monte. We’ll play four hands, and I’ll show you. You play first. I’ll let you win three times and lose only once. I’ll pick the hands you win and the hand you lose. If I want you to win I’ll swap this red queen for whatever card you choose. If it’s the loser hand, I’ll palm the red queen and slip in a black card. Try it.”

Then Arnett shuffled the cards again, this time not dropping any. He showed the red queen and two black jacks face up, then turned them over and twirled the triumverate around clumsily. He leaned back, flicking his eyes to indicate Spillman should pick one. Spillman did, keeping his finger tight on the card.

“If that’s not the red queen,” Spillman said, “I’ll eat my hat.”

Arnett removed Spillman’s finger and turned over the card–a Jack of Clubs.

Spillman put his finger on the second card. “OK, that’s the one.”

Arnett turned it over. It was the Jack of Spades. “Shit,” Spillman said. Arnett turned over the third card. Spillman did not see the red queen slide out of his sleeve.

“You lose,” Arnett said. “I’ll bet you win the next three hands.”

Spillman’s eyes narrowed, then brightened after he won the three hands.

“I’m the dealer, see?” Arnett said. “Your job is to impress the mark with all your winnings and show him how it’s done. Same for you, Jergamin. But don’t horn in on Spillman here. Let him collect his winnings first.”

“You’re the boss,” Jergamin said.

“What if somebody who’s smart as you comes in to play?” Spillman asked.

“We’ll play Mexican Monte,” Arnett said. “It’s a game I picked up down in Texas from a soldier on his way home from the Mexican War back in ‘48. I’m good at it, but you get our geniuses drunk playing Mexican and then I’ll switch to Three Card.”

]]> By: tracikenworth https://writershelpingwriters.net/2013/12/skills-talent-entry-sleight-hand-magic/#comment-19367 Sun, 15 Dec 2013 15:09:36 +0000 https://writershelpingwriters.net/?p=2147#comment-19367 Great idea for a shady character!!

]]> By: Rosi https://writershelpingwriters.net/2013/12/skills-talent-entry-sleight-hand-magic/#comment-19292 Sun, 15 Dec 2013 02:11:45 +0000 https://writershelpingwriters.net/?p=2147#comment-19292 This is a great idea to add some real interest to a character. Thanks. I love these posts! Keep’em coming.

]]> By: jeffo https://writershelpingwriters.net/2013/12/skills-talent-entry-sleight-hand-magic/#comment-19200 Sat, 14 Dec 2013 15:05:33 +0000 https://writershelpingwriters.net/?p=2147#comment-19200 In my first (unpublished) novel, my main character was an wannabe prestidigitator. Early in the book, he dropped coins, sprayed cards all over the table, etc. He used his little tricks primarily in an attempt to distract his friend when she threatened to get all riled up over things.

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