chancer noun an opportunist, especially one who takes risks in pursuit of criminal gain; someone who takes or creates chancesUK, 1884
I never did like the cunt. He’s always been too much of a chancer. — Ted Lewis, JackCarter’sLaw, p. 87, 1974
This one’s really persistent. You can usually tell the chancers, but this guy says he’s been with Keva all night[.] — Kevin Sampson, Powder, p. 458, 1999