How would the card-game con in The Sting work in real life? (Open spoilers for 50-year-old movie)

[John_DiFool]

6 month old thread on the movie in CS:

The Sting comments about the movie and a few questions (Spoilers of course, film is over 50 years old)

Spoiler Warning I saw The Sting early yesterday afternoon on Sundance and then rewatched late last night. I enjoyed it. Thr script is clever with interesting twists. The twist with the phony FBI agents is confusing. Hooker (Redford) seemed clueless when he’s arrested and brought to the office. Was Gondorff (Newman) testing Hooker with the FBI offer to betray his partner for immunity? I do appreciate the need to Con the corrupt cop (Charles Durning) into believing Hooker was shot dead. The p…