Marks Head Bobbers Hand Jobbers Better Official

The phrase "marks, head-bobbers, and hand-jobbers" is a classic piece of carnivoral slang (or "carny talk") used to categorize the different types of patrons who frequent midway games and sideshows. While the terms sound crude or provocative to an outsider, they actually represent a sophisticated, if cynical, system of psychological profiling used by game operators to maximize profit. This hierarchy of "marks" reveals a fascinating intersection of street-level sociology and the art of the "hustle." The Mark: The Willing Victim