The master of the game is a professional assisted by accomplices sometimes called barons. They are responsible to fold customers, to keep watch or to play the big guys to calm the vengeful losers or collect winnings of players who got wind of the trick. In part because of this dishonest organization, monte is outlawed in most countries.
Monte requires:
- several actors:
- a manipulator,
- several thieves (accomplices)
- naive players and onlookers;
- material:
- three cards – two black kings and the queen of heart,
- a tablet or a big box can be used as table.
It is generally practiced in the street. For the rhythm of the party, the manipulator repeats generally repeatedly “Where is the queen? Where is the Queen?”.
Principle of the game
The game is traditionally done with two black cards and a red card, usually the kings of clubs and spades and the queen of heart (hence the other name of the game, “Find the Lady”). The game master manipulates three cards and requires the player to bet and discover the red card. If he succeeds, he receives double his bet; otherwise, he loose.
In practice, the game master first performs several rounds where the card is sought easily followed, and in which accomplices bet and win, to put the bystander confidence. When it comes into play, the game master changes the handling of cards.
The manipulator keep two cards in one of his hands and shows where they are placed. Two cards (the red card and one of the two black cards) are held between the thumb, index and middle fingers of one hand, and the third in the other hand. The red card is placed so that it is logically first filed. The third card is only used to distract attention. The manipulator made several removals cards and the lady in the center is immediately identified. The manipulator can move cards to give a false impression of excessive and clumsy handling.
When onlooker put his money, the manipulator does not leave the red lady card escape first, but the other, which does not seem possible to the victim. The master of the game can offer some easy money to the victim to give him confidence that he bet bigger.
In cases where the punter would know the trick, thieves are nearby and intervene to recover the setting .
Translated and adapted from Wikipedia under GNU Free Documentation License.
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