a swindling sleight-of-hand game; victim guesses which of three things a pellet is under
A game of skill which requires the bettor to guess under which of three small cups (or thimbles) a pea-sized object has been placed after the party operating the game rapidly rearranges them, providing opportunity for sleight-of-hand trickery; a shell game.
To cheat in the thimblerig game.