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 confidence
trick. It is most commonly associated with 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 near-impossible but at which the hustler is exceptionally skilled.
