Hustling is the deceptive act of disguising one's skill in a
sport or
game with the intent of luring someone of probably lesser skill into
gambling (or gambling for higher than current stakes) with the hustler, as a form of both a
confidence trick and
match fixing. It is most commonly associated with, and originated in,
pool (and to an extent other
billiards-family games), but also can be performed with regard to other sports and gambling activities. Hustlers may also engage in "
sharking"—distracting, disheartening, enraging, or even threatening their opponents—to throw them off. Hustlers are thus often called "pool sharks"
(compare "card shark"). Professional and semi-pro hustlers sometimes work with a "
stakehorse"—a person who provides the money for the hustler to bet with (and who may assist in the hustling)—in exchange for a substantial portion of all winnings. Another form of hustling (often engaged in by the same hustlers who use the skill-disguising technique) is challenging
"marks" (swindle targets) to bet on
trick shots that seem nearly impossible but at which the hustler is exceptionally skilled.