The Con
The man running the game moves match boxes around with a stone, flashing the stone just as he finishes so that it's very obvious where it is. The player guesses wrong, we've just walked up, and talk to each other about how it's clearly in one the other box. The man running the game hands Gau a 50 and tells Gau to show money. Gau guesses without showing money, correctly of course, and the man takes his 50 back, explaining to Gau that he had to show money if he wanted to win. Somewhere in there he vaguely insults Gau, asking him if he understands English to get how this game works. Rudy talks to Gau about how it's a con, but that the con comes later and it is possible for Gau to win money. The man asks Rudy to play and show money. Rudy does, the game runs the same, except that this time there is some sleight of hand that moves the stone before Rudy guesses and he's out 50.
The con man did a lot of things right. He made it look like easy money, he pulled them into the game by handing Gau 50, which pretty much has to pull you in. It also made it seem so easy to get that money, and made it feel like Gau had lost something when he didn't get to keep it. Then he played Rudy perfectly. Rudy was trying to seem more knowledgeable to Gau, so the man immediately made Rudy step up and prove it. He had already set the stakes high and somehow managed to make it seem like 50 wasn't that much, he even quickly tried to milk it up to 100, making it seem like the 50 was nothing. Rudy somehow convinced himself that this was the first stage in an elaborate con, even though a substantial amount of real money was involved, which is what turns the game on. There was enough fast talk that Rudy got pushed into making a decision he never would have made if he'd stepped back to think about what was going on for a second.
Ultimately, I'd say the guy totally earned Rudy's money and it was pretty interesting to watch. That profession seems totally sweet. I'd consider doing it except I know I couldn't possibly be good enough at any part of it.
The con man did a lot of things right. He made it look like easy money, he pulled them into the game by handing Gau 50, which pretty much has to pull you in. It also made it seem so easy to get that money, and made it feel like Gau had lost something when he didn't get to keep it. Then he played Rudy perfectly. Rudy was trying to seem more knowledgeable to Gau, so the man immediately made Rudy step up and prove it. He had already set the stakes high and somehow managed to make it seem like 50 wasn't that much, he even quickly tried to milk it up to 100, making it seem like the 50 was nothing. Rudy somehow convinced himself that this was the first stage in an elaborate con, even though a substantial amount of real money was involved, which is what turns the game on. There was enough fast talk that Rudy got pushed into making a decision he never would have made if he'd stepped back to think about what was going on for a second.
Ultimately, I'd say the guy totally earned Rudy's money and it was pretty interesting to watch. That profession seems totally sweet. I'd consider doing it except I know I couldn't possibly be good enough at any part of it.