Johnny Hooke and his accomplice Luther, small time grifters, unknowingly steal from Doyle Lonnegan, a big time crime boss, when they pull a standard street con. Lonnegan demands satisfaction for the insult. After Luther, is murdered by Lonnegan, Hooker flees, and seeks the help of Henry Gondorff, one of Luther's former contacts, who is a master of the big con. Hooker wants to use Gondorff's expertise to take Lonnegan for an enormous sum of money to even the score, since he admits he "doesn't know enough about killing to kill him." They devise a complicated scheme and amass a talented group of other con artists who want their share of the reparations. The stakes are high in this game, and our heroes must not only deal with Lonnegan's murderous tendencies, but also other side players who want a piece of the action. To win, Hooker and Gondorff will need all their skills...and a fair amount of confidence.