Getting Hustled in Geneva

There is a game I have seen being played along the streets of Geneva. It involves a person, I'll call him the house. The house has a miniature red carpet that he lays on the ground in front of him. He has three little boxes and a little white ball that sit atop the little red carpet. He puts the ball under one of the boxes, and then the house moves the boxes quickly while saying, "One, two three, one, two, three, one, two, three..." At the end, the people watching bet against the house in the hopes of having chosen the correct little box and doubling their money. This game is called bonneteau.

When I was first in Geneva, I was tempted to play a time or two thinking I would bet 10 francs and potentially come out with 20. I am not a huge gambler. Luckily for me, I never played. The other day there was an article in the newspaper about this game. Apparently it is a huge scam and the house never loses. The house has accomplices, usually two or three well-dressed adults. These accomplices bet 50-100 francs per round, usually losing, but sometimes winning. The house then takes their money or pays them, thereby enticing other people passing by to attempt to play. The house goes extremely so and makes it painfully obvious where the little white ball is when his accomplices bet. This creates the allusion for tourists that they can beat the house.

Back to the article I read. Apparently, there was a woman who gambled 1000 francs on a round of bonneteau. I do not know how stupid, wealthy, or wealthy and stupid a person would have to be to do that, but she did nonetheless. When she lost, the house took her 1000 francs and scampered away. However, she ran after him and started screaming and causing a scene the next place he stopped to play. The house gave her back 900 francs and ran off again.

I saw some people playing bonneteau today, and I decided to stop and watch. Sure enough, there were three people standing up front betting a lot of money--the accomplices. Then, an eager tourist bet and lost 50 francs. Some people were standing on the outskirts watching, and they started yelling "fraud," "cheat," "Go f*** yourself." One man took out his cell phone and started to call the police. The house and his accomplices yelled a slur of curse words and took off, surely to find their next unknowing victim.

So if you are ever in Europe, do NOT play the game with the little red carpet, the three little boxes, and the little white ball. Stay far, far away.