Homicide: Life on the Street season 7, episode 3, 'Just an Old-fashioned Love Song', features the homicide investigation of a woman who made a living as a card sharp, but whose gambling on other games sank her into substantial debt, with dire consequences for herself and her extended family.In Friends season 2, episode 10, 'The One with Russ', Ross debates with his doppelgänger Russ about the correctness of the term 'card shark' vs.Stage magician and actor Harry Anderson (of Night Court fame) made several appearances on Cheers as card sharp 'Harry the Hat'.The Prestige (2006), world-renowned card sharp Ricky Jay advised the actors and played a supporting role.Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998).

Notable examples films featuring card sharps are: In popular culture FilmĬard sharps are common characters in caper films, since the questionable legality of their hobby also plays well with that of their occupation. Dealing may also be done from the middle of the deck, known as the middle deal or center deal, but is almost always performed as a display of skill rather than actual cheating. Two cards could be dealt as one or the second card from the bottom could be dealt, hence the Greek deal and double deals. This is called a false dealing, if a card is dealt from the bottom it is called bottom dealing and if it is second from the top it is called second dealing. Once a desired card or cards are located they can be controlled and dealt as the cheater wishes. More advanced techniques include culling (manipulating desired cards to the top or bottom of the deck), and stacking (putting desired cards in position to be dealt).ĭealing the cards can also be manipulated. Essential skills are false shuffles and false cuts that appear to mix the deck but actually leave the cards in the same order. Many of these methods employ sleight of hand. (However, not all American dictionaries agree with this, and some suggest the opposite.) MethodsĬard sharps who cheat or perform tricks use methods to keep control of the order of the cards or sometimes to control one specific card. 'Card sharp' and 'card shark' are synonymous, although American English is somewhat, but informally, beginning to favor 'shark' as a positive term versus 'sharp' as a negative one. The original connotation was negative, meaning 'swindler' or 'cheat', regardless of spelling, with the more positive connotations of 'expert' or 'skilled player' arising later, and not supplanting the negative ones. 'Sharp' developed in the 17th century from this meaning of 'shark' (as apparently did the use of 'shark' as a name for the fish), but the phrase 'card sharp' predates the variant 'card shark'. loan shark), derives from German Schorke or Schurke ('rogue' or 'rascal'), as did the English word 'shirk'. Etymology and usageĪccording to the prevailing etymological theory, the term 'shark', originally meaning 'parasite' or 'one who preys upon others' (cf.

In general usage, principally in American English and more commonly with the 'shark' spelling, the term has also taken on the meaning of an expert card gambler who takes advantage of less-skilled players, also called an advantage player, without any implication of actual cheating at cards, in much the same way that 'pool shark' or 'pool hustler' can (especially when used by non-players) be intended to refer to a skilled player rather than a cheater or swindler.Ī card sharp or shark (by either of the gambling-related definitions) may be a 'rounder' who travels, seeking out high-stakes games in which to gamble. The label is not always intended as pejorative, and is sometimes used to refer to practitioners of card tricks for entertainment purposes. 'Sharp' and 'shark' spellings have varied over time and by region.

Card-sharpers by candlelight (1845) by Feliks Pęczarski, National Museum in Warsaw.Ī card sharp (also called Flipper Frog, card shark or cardshark) is a person who uses skill and/or deception to win at poker or other card games.

Card shark or card sharp