History Main / KansasCityShuffle

* In the 2009 movie ''{{Push}}'', in order to avoid an enemy who can see his group's intentions, Nick Grant writes directions for them on cards and then has his own memory wiped, ensuring that no one knows what will happen next.

* In ''[=~Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn~=]'', this forms the core element of the BigBad Storm King's XanatosGambit, which is to trick the heroes into [[spoiler:[[MacGuffinDeliveryService delivering the Three Swords]] to him that contain the power necessary to [[SealedEvilInACan summon him back into Osten Ard]]]]. He employs false PropheticDreams, harries them so they can't sit down to ponder the situation, [[MentorOccupationalHazard kills anyone who might know enough to figure the plan out]], and sets up an extended chain of {{Red Herring}}s for them to chase. The reason the plan still qualifies as a XanatosGambit is that the swords are {{Clingy Macguffin}}s that will [[spoiler:pretty much deliver themselves]], regardless of who holds them.

The Kansas City Shuffle is an old established name for a con game that ''depends'' on the mark believing that the conman is trying to misdirect him.\\

It can overlap with, or be part of, a BatmanGambit, if the plotter relies on the pawn's predicted reaction to a piece of misinformation. It is virtually never part of a XanatosGambit, since part of the definition of a Kanas City Shuffle is that ''it fails'' if the victim doesn't fall for the misdirection.

The TropeNamer is the song ''The Kansas City Shuffle'' (see quote above) explained in detail in the movie ''LuckyNumberSlevin''. For those of you not from the U.S., Kansas City is actually in Missouri. There ''is'' a Kansas City, Kansas, (It's right across the river) but it's much smaller and usually not what people are talking about when they mention a Kansas City. It throws off many Americans, too. This is actually a near-perfect physical metaphor, as "when they look on one side of the river, you're on the other". May be employed by means of a RevealingCoverup.

* In ''MadMen'', Don Draper executes a magnificent one against his self-proclaimed rival Ted Shaw in "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword." [[spoiler:During the competition over the Honda Motorcycles account, the Honda execs make certain rules to ensure a level playing field: each agency is given $3000 to make boards and copy--no finished work allowed. Don goes to great lengths to hint that SCDP is going to make a big, expensive spec commercial for Honda (which is finished work and therefore not allowed) convincing Ted Shaw that his firm should do the same. The problem is that SCDP isn't making a commercial at all (leading to a [[CrowningMomentOfFunny pretty hilarious scene]] with Peggy riding around an empty set on a Honda motorcycle) Draper's intention was to severely damage Shaw's firm's budget by fooling them into making the big, expensive commercial. Don resigns the Honda account, returning the $3000, on the grounds that Honda had broken its own rules and he could not honorably do business with them. Shaw's firm is now a mess, and while Honda doesn't end up giving ''anyone'' their main motorcycle account, SCDP gets a shot at the advertising for their new automotive division.]]

It can overlap with, or be part of, a BatmanGambit, if the plotter relies on the pawn's predicted reaction to a piece of misinformation. It is virtually never part of a Xanatos Gambit, since part of the definition of a Kanas City Shuffle is that ''it fails'' if the victim doesn't fall for the misdirection.

Compare MassiveMultiplayerScam. May involve ReversePsychology

It can overlap with, or be part of, a BatmanGambit, if the plotter relies on the pawn's predicted reaction to a piece of misinformation. It is virtually never part of a Xanatos Gambit, since part of the definition of a Kanas City Shuffle is that ''it fails'' if the victim doesn't fall for the misdirection.\\
[[supersecretspoiler: So one quickstep is all it takes to fall into a Kansas City Shuffle]]\\

The Kansas City Shuffle is an old established name for a con game that ''depends'' on the mark believing that the conman is trying to misdirect him.

For instance, the conman really wants the mark to ignore what he's doing with his left hand. He therefore does something that makes the mark think that it's his right hand he wants ignored. The mark concentrates on the conman's right hand, thinking that he's doing the opposite of what the conman wants, when in fact he's doing exactly what the conman wants. ''If the mark doesn't fall for the misdirection, the con doesn't work.''

In fiction, it's a plan or gambit that relies on the victim believing the misdirection. What the victim is being misled about can vary; it can be the true motivation and desires of the chessmaster, it could be the presence of other players, or could be the identity of the plotter or even their existence.

The audience may or may not be in on the secret themselves. If they are then it can lead to a build up of DramaticIrony but often the truth can be saved to TheReveal after the audience has been immersed in the intricacies of the apparent plot so that the shock to the character and the audience match.

It can overlap with, or be part of, a BatmanGambit, if the plotter relies on the pawn's predicted reaction to a piece of misinformation. It is virtually never part of a Xanatos Gambit, since part of the definition of a Kanas City Shuffle is that ''it fails'' if the victim doesn't fall for the misdirection.

-->--'''Bennie Moten''', "The Kansas City Shuffle"

The Kansas City Shuffle is a type of gambit where ''everything'' relies on misdirection and disinformation. The crux of the thing is that 'you look left and they fall right': the pawns involved are not working in the same direction that they would if they knew the truth that TheChessmaster was keeping from them.\\
[[supersecretspoiler: My name is CandleJack, I don't write in black, it's part of my Kansas City Shuffle]]\\
The information being kept from them can vary. It can be the true motivation and desires of the chessmaster, it could be the presence of other players, or could be the identity of the plotter or even their existence.\\
[[supersecretspoiler: They call my name, but with rope and a duffel sack, they're calling for trouble.]]\\
The audience may or may not be in on the secret themselves. If they are then it can lead to a build up of DramaticIrony but often the truth can be saved to TheReveal after the audience has been immersed in the intricacies of the apparent plot so that the shock to the character and the audience match.\\
[[supersecretspoiler: See, you fear shadows but I'm too bright, I hit submit after you type]]\\
It can very often overlap with a BatmanGambit when the plotter relies on the pawns' reactions to a piece of information but not always; for instance, when information is merely withheld so that the pawn will not react to it, you do not have the manipulation of behaviour that the BatmanGambit requires. It is much rarer to have an overlap with the XanatosGambit since if the truth is revealed the plan will fail with no backup. The reason the disinformation is there in the first place is because the plotter relies so much on a specific course of action and must have the pawns under control.\\
[[supersecretspoiler: So one quickstep is all it takes to fall into a Kansas City Shuffle]]\\
Of course, if the audience only gets the reveal right at the end we may never truly know how the plan was meant to work, how coolly the player kept his control. We can't truly evaluate what type of gambit they were employing. All we can do is sit back and grin at the MagnificentBastard.

TropeNamer is the song ''The Kansas City Shuffle'' (see quote above) explained in detail in the movie ''LuckyNumberSlevin''. For those of you not from the U.S., Kansas City is actually in Missouri. There ''is'' a Kansas City, Kansas, (It's right across the river) but it's much smaller and usually not what people are talking about when they mention a Kansas City. It throws off many Americans, too. This is actually a near-perfect physical metaphor, as "when they look on one side of the river, you're on the other". May be employed by means of a RevealingCoverup.

* The TropeNamer comes from ''LuckyNumberSlevin'' which uses "Kansas City Shuffle" as a code for a type of plan that Mr. Goodkat enacts, which involves Slevin being mistaken for Nick Fisher and owing money to the Boss and the Rabbi, while [[spoiler:Slevin himself and Goodkat engineered it all as revenge for Slevin's family that the Boss and the Rabbi killed twenty years ago]].

* The SteveMartin film ''DirtyRottenScoundrels''.

* The ''[[OceansEleven Ocean's Eleven]]'' movies. Every. Single. Time.
* ''TheDarkKnightSaga'': In a poetically appropriate way, [[MonsterClown The Joker]] is the [[MagnificentBastard master]] of the BatmanGambit. That said, this movie is noteworthy because it seems like it'd be easier to find characters who ''weren't'' trying to pull a [[ThirtyXanatosPileup Kansas City Shuffle]].

* ''DoctorWho'': There is a twist in "Journey's End" when [[spoiler:it is revealed that the creation of Doctor 10.5, the meeting and reunion of Donna Noble and the Doctor and Davros trapping all his enemies to the vault are the XanatosGambit of Dalek Caan.]]
** Again in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E12ThePandoricaOpens The Pandorica Opens]], in which [[spoiler:the alliance of aliens sets up the message that "the Pandorica is opening", so that the Doctor will arrive to find and stop the SealedEvilInACan inside. There's actually nothing inside; the being to be sealed in the Pandorica is [[SealedGoodInACan the Doctor]], and he makes that a lot easier by showing up.]]

* [[MadMen Don Draper]] executes a magnificent one against his self-proclaimed rival Ted Shaw in "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword." [[spoiler:During the competition over the Honda Motorcycles account, the Honda execs make certain rules to ensure a level playing field: each agency is given $3000 to make boards and copy--no finished work allowed. Don goes to great lengths to hint that SCDP is going to make a big, expensive spec commercial for Honda (which is finished work and therefore not allowed) convincing Ted Shaw that his firm should do the same. The problem is that SCDP isn't actually making a commercial (leading to a [[CrowningMomentOfFunny pretty hilarious scene]] with Peggy riding around an empty set on a Honda motorcycle), Draper's intention being to severely damage Shaw's firm's budget by making them make the big, expensive commercial. Don resigns the Honda account, returning the $3000, on the grounds that Honda had broken its own rules and he could not honorably do business with them. Shaw's firm is now a mess, and while Honda doesn't end up giving ''anyone'' their main motorcycle account, SCDP gets a shot at the advertising for their new automotive division. I predict great profits for SCDP in TheSeventies...]]

*** The funny part here is that Erwin Rommel wanted all of the German troops deployed at the exact beaches the Allies would deploy on. However, because he was not popular/trusted enough at the point, only half of the troops were, allowing the Allies' invasion to be successful because the rest of the troops were half-way to Paris at the time. Not an indicator of a Kansas City Shuffle, but rather of incompetence in the highest ranks as Hitler was the one who decided to go against Rommel who had proven himself to be one of the best if not ''the'' best general the Third Reich had.
** [[ConspiracyTheorist Some]] say that Churchill knew about Coventry Blitz from cryptoanalysis teams, but decided that taking any measures would have forced Germany to change encryption schema, which would have been worse.
*** This was confirmed by several members of British foreign intelligence going on fifty years later. Read ''A Man Called Intrepid''.
*** And then denied by several other members of British intelligence, who pointed out that the key Coventry message wasn't decoded until ''after'' the raid. The Public Records Office appears to agree with the second group, but it's almost like no one wants [[KansasCityShuffle a clear account]]....

** Not that it was really needed after 1934-1937 purges caused by inner politics..
*** The Nazis with their attack in the West in May 1940. They came through Belgium and Holland, just like the British and French expected them to, and the British and French advanced to meet them there--only to suffer a giant stomach punch when the real German attack came farther south, through the Ardennes Forest, cutting off over 400,000 Allied troops in the north and winning the campaign at a stroke.
*** Which they really should have expected, since the Germans used the exact same attack route during World War I. They probably thought the German tanks wouldn't have been able to navigate the area, but then they got blindsided by it ''again'' by the German counterattack that became the Battle of the Bulge. The effects were far less devastating that time, but only because Germany was pretty screwed at that point no matter what they did.
**** Um, not quite. The 1914 Schlieffen Plan was a large right flank offensive through the Belgian plains. The Anglo-French forces were expecting a repeat in 1940 of the World War I attack plan, which is how they fell into the trap. The Germans (actually, the Prussians with other German allies) DID take this route in 1871 during the Franco-Prussian War when they crushed the French at Sedan--where they would make their winning breakthrough in 1940 as well. The Battle of the Bulge did use the same route as the 1940 attack, and leaving the Ardennes too lightly defended in 1944 * was* an amazing case of historical blindness.

* Simon Gruber was the Gruber brother who did the Shuffle at least twice in ''DieHard 3'': First by [[spoiler: planting a fake bomb in a school to get the cops away from the Federal Reserve]], and second [[spoiler: sending John [=McClane=] on wild goose chases with everyone thinking he's trying to get him because of his brother, when, again, it's all just a ruse to rob the Fed. Although Simon later reveals that he chose McClane due to the Nakatomi incident, and that he and Hans weren't all that close]]

* ''{{Leverage}}'', also all the time. The best example would probably be [[spoiler:The Second David Job"]]

''Where you take your time, wait your turn and hang them up and out to dry"''\\

TropeNamer is the song ''The Kansas City Shuffle'' (see quote above) explained in detail in the movie ''LuckyNumberSlevin''. For those of you not from the U.S., Kansas City is actually in Missouri. There ''is'' a Kansas City, Kansas, (It's right across the river) but it's much smaller and usually not what people are talking about when they mention a Kansas City. It throws off many Americans, too. This is actually a near perfect physical metaphore, as "when they look on one side of the river, you're on the other". May be employed by means of a RevealingCoverup.

** [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Absolutely nothing happened today]] [[Funny/BabylonFive in Sector]] [BatmanGambit 83 by 9 by 12]].

** [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Absolutely nothing happened today]] [[Funny/BabylonFive in Sector]] [[BatmanGambit 83 by 9 by 12]].

TropeNamer is the song ''The Kansas City Shuffle'' (see quote above) explained in detail in the movie ''LuckyNumberSlevin''. For those of you not from the U.S., Kansas City is actually in Missouri. There ''is'' a Kansas City, Kansas, (It's right across the river) but it's much smaller and usually not what people are talking about when they mention a Kansas City. It throws off many Americans, too. May be employed by means of a RevealingCoverup.

* Niko and [[NeverMessWithGranny Ariel]] pull a great one of these in GalaxyRangers. SealedEvilInACan got loose and took out every one of the Circle of Thought aside from them. After battling to their lair and succeeding in pissing it off, Ariel casts a spell to disguise them as each other. The SealedEvilInACan proceeds to blow a lot of power fighting what he thinks is Ariel, but is actually Niko. Then, when he's used up so much power on the student, the ''mentor'' drops the disguises, and starts laying into the thing. Of course, while it's distracted, Niko pulls out a remote control that activates the captured Zachary's bionics and blasts the thing.

* The TropeNamer comes from ''LuckyNumberSlevin'' which uses "Kansas City Shuffle" as a code for a type of plan that Mr. Goodkat enacts, which involves [[spoiler: Slevin being mistaken for Nick Fisher and owing money to the Boss and the Rabbi, while Slevin and Goodkat engineered it all as revenge for Slevin's family that the Boss and the Rabbi killed twenty years ago]].

* The TropeNamer comes from ''LuckyNumberSlevin'' which uses "Kansas City Shuffle" as a code for a type of plan that Mr. Goodkat enacts, which involves Slevin being mistaken for Nick Fisher and owing money to the Boss and the Rabbi, while [[spoiler: Slevin and Goodkat engineered it all as revenge for Slevin's family that the Boss and the Rabbi killed twenty years ago]].

** In ''Small Favor'', the Knights of the Blackened Denarius kidnap a freeholding lord, a recent signatory to the Unseelie Accords, simultaneously threatening that lord, disrupting his power base, and placing the Knights in violation of the Accords (thus challenging the weakened White Council to choose risking a multi-front war if they enforce the Accords, and offending the Unseelie Court if they don't). Harry manipulates the White Council into acting, selecting [[spoiler:the Archive]] as arbiter [[spoiler: which is what the Knights wanted, as it made her vulnerable to a kidnap attempt]].

''Into the Kansas City Shuffle.''//
''[[IKnowYouKnowIKnow Its a they think you think they don't know]] type of Kansas city hustle''//
''Where you take your time, wait your turn and hang them up and out to dry"''//

TropeNamer is the song ''The Kansas City Shuffle'' (see quote above) explained in detail in the movie ''LuckyNumberSlevin''. For those of you not from the U.S., Kansas City is actually in Missouri. There ''is'' a Kansas City, Kansas, but it's much smaller and usually not what people are talking about when they mention a Kansas City. It throws off many Americans, too. May be employed by means of a RevealingCoverup.

''Its a they think you think they don't know type of Kansas city hustle''//
''Where you take your time, wait your turn and hang them up and out to dry''//

''Its a They think you think they don't know type of Kansas city hustle''//
''Where you take your time, wait your turn and hang them up and out to dry''

''Into the Kansas City Shuffle."''