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Words and Their StoriesLearning Expressions with VOA
Processed with VS1Use card-game expressions to describe revealing plans, taking chances, and facing unfair odds.
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Source: VOA Learning English · Words and Their Stories
View original article & transcriptCard games supply English with metaphors for keeping plans secret, making intentions clear, and handling the situation one has been given. These expressions are figurative in everyday conversation, not instructions to gamble.
Cultural note: Many English card idioms draw on poker and other games where players conceal or reveal cards. “Keep your cards close to your chest” is a common way to describe discretion; “the deck is stacked against someone” suggests unfair conditions rather than simply bad luck.
Keep exploringImagine you are holding cards that represent your plans. Do you reveal them, keep them secret, or play the hand you received?
Phrase guide · 5 expressions
Original explanations and examples, created for learners. Save a card for later or hear the phrase spoken by your browser.
Choose whether to disclose intentions or keep them private.
Meaning
To reveal your plans, intentions, or the information you have been keeping secret.
Tone & use
Common in negotiation, competition, and planning. It can be literal in card games or figurative elsewhere.
Example
“The startup did not show its hand until the patent was approved.”
Meaning
To keep your plans or opinions secret.
Tone & use
Common and figurative. It can suggest careful discretion or, depending on tone, excessive secrecy.
Example
“The coach kept her cards close to her chest before announcing the lineup.”
Meaning
To be open and honest about your plans, feelings, or information.
Tone & use
Often used when people need direct discussion or negotiation.
Example
“Let’s lay our cards on the table: the project needs another month and more funding.”
Describe the situation you face and whether the odds are fair.
Meaning
To make the best of the circumstances or resources available to you.
Tone & use
Encouraging or matter-of-fact. The card image is figurative and does not recommend gambling.
Example
“We cannot change the weather, so we’ll play the hand we’re dealt and move the event indoors.”
Meaning
The conditions are unfairly arranged in a way that makes success difficult.
Tone & use
Critical. It suggests structural disadvantage or unfair odds, not merely a difficult task.
Example
“Without transportation or reliable internet, the deck was stacked against students in the remote program.”
Knowledge check
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