Thimble-rig
A cheat. The cheating game so called is played thus: A pea is
put on a table, and the conjurer places three or four thimbles over it
in succession, and then sets the thimbles on the table. You are asked
to
say under which thimble the pea is, but are sure to guess wrong, as
the pea has been concealed under the man's nail.
Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894 More on Thimble-rig from Fact Monster:
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