Dictionary definitions from Nathan Bailey’s Canting Dictionary [thieving slang], 1736:

“SHARPER”
SHARPER, a Cheat, one that lives by his Wits.

“SHARPERS-Tools”
SHARPERS-Tools, false Dice.

“SHURK” a Shark or Sharper

I like this one:
“SHUFFLER”
SHUFFLER, or Shuffling-Fellow; a slippery, shifting Fellow.

Should it be cardShurk I wonder.


http://www.holoweb.net/~liam/dict/

Humbug? Shecoonery? Useless truck or gum? Hornswoggling? Honey-fuggling? Not in this book, dear sir! I swan to mercy, a huckle- berry above anyone's persimmon. Some pumpkins, a caution, 100 percent certified by a Philadelfy lawyer. If not, dad-blame it, I'll hang up my fiddle, and you can sass me, knock me into a cocked hat, give me jesse, fix my flint, settle my hash, ride me out on a rail and have a conniption fit, you cussed scalawag. Now ain't that the beatingest language you ever did hear? Sure beats the Dutch! Pshaw! Do tell! Bully for you!

Easy to see from the above how words like Cardsharp and Cardshark came to be. I think it all depends on what Dictionary you prefer.


Tommy

I have to admit that there are a lot of answers to consider. I only asked the question because of my interest in the promotional use of card shark or card sharp. In fact I used the title Tested Card Work for CARD SHARK magicians for my first DVD.

I and I often use in my magic copy - card shark expo.

I wonder if the words have any difference card shark or sharp for the public or if it doesn't matter?

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean--neither more nor less." In other words: Humpty Dumpty does not care which is the correct word be it Cardsharp or Cardshark.

Card Shark is classed as one of the top 100 Most Often Mispronounced Words and Phrases in English. See:
http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/mispron.html

There is only one question: Do you agree with Humpty Dumpty?

:)

It doesn't matter you can use them both and no one is going to know the defference
SO I'm going to leave it at that

Actually, what that web site says is that "cardsharp" is one of the most often mispronounced words. That advice was accurate forty years ago. For better of worse, card shark is now perfectly acceptable. Personally, I use cardsharp, but I think card shark has entered the language at this point. Perhaps someday card cheat will be correct and the two terms will develop more specific and separate meanings. The English language is an ever mutating thing. Terrific, for instance, used to mean something terrifying and English teachers used to complain about the use of the word to mean something wonderful. That is an argument they lost. There are hundreds of examples of these changes that are occuring every day. Most recently, we see the acceptance of "insure" as a synonym for "ensure." And don't even get me started on "begging the question" to mean "raising the question."

Thanks Tommy for the great Canting dictionary link! It made this whole thread worth it!

Jim

But since I don't think anyone in the public cares and most people enterchange the two(if they even know both the words) I don't really think its that big of a deal.
IDK just my opinion

Ok... I Googled it...here is what came up:

* A person who is an expert at cards.

* a professional card player who makes a living by cheating at card games

* A card sharp (also commonly known as card shark) is a person who purposely cheats at cards with the aim of making money. Card sharps are also known as a "mechanics" — an older term is "greek".

So I guess the jury is out on whether a card shark has to cheat....he can also be an honest expert with cards.

Erdnase does not use any of the above terms, not even ”Cheat”!

Erdnse uses the term the “professional player”.

I agree that it's simply an evolution of pop culture vernacular.
The logical progression is as follows:
Cardsharp >>> Cardshark >>> Card'shizzle


It's only a matter of time

Cheat: A lowlife piece of $ -- T
Card Shark: As what Card Cheat wrote..
Card Sharp: See definition of Cheat.

Card sharp - Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Card_sharp
A card sharp (also cardsharp, card shark or cardshark, sometimes hyphenated) is a person who uses skill and/or deception to win at poker or other card games.

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 both a confidence trick and match-fixing. It is most commonly associated with, and originated in pocket billiards (pool), 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".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hustling

Mind you anybody can edit a wiki and so they cannot be relied on as a matter of fact.

Here's the answer that you are looking for A Card Sharp is an excellent card player. A Card Shark is an excellent card cheater.