A silver-tongued gambler was arrested on Tuesday after he distracted his would-be card-playing companion and walked away with his pockets full of stolen gold in Prey Veng.

The 18-year-old conman went to a fellow villager’s house to play cards, but when nobody else showed up, the pair just sat down and had a chat.

After the convivial conversationalist departed, the homeowner realised he was short a fistful of gold and 200,000 riel (about $50).

The light-fingered thief was arrested soon after but claimed to have already sold the loot

KOH SANTEPHEAP