Card Idioms, Poker Phrases and Playing Card Sayings in Everyday Life

As you might be aware gambling and card games have been among people’s favourite activities for centuries. Even the ancient cultures loved them. Thus, it comes as no surprise that many of the commonly used phrases and idioms originate from card-playing practices. And not just that! There are also many funny gambling jokes that we can hear in our everyday lives. Meanwhile, if you are wondering which the 10 most popular card and poker idioms are, just stay with us and keep reading our article. Below we have listed the most commonly used gambling figures of speech. If on the other hand, you feel like playing a few hands, you can check our reviews of the best online casino sites in the UK and the best UK poker sites, preferably after reading our article!

#10 To Deal a Bad Hand

To deal (someone) a bad hand is one of the most popular playing card idioms. Literally speaking, if someone is dealt a bad hand during a game, it means that the cards he has would not allow him to make a game-winning combination. However, in its figurative sense, the popular phrase is referring to situations in which one becomes a victim of unfair circumstances that are beyond his control.

Example: Jack got sacked from his job. He’s been dealt a bad hand.

#9 To Have a Card Up One’s Sleeve

In a game, to have a card up one’s sleeve literally means to have a card that strong that could change the events in the game. Historically, the idiom originates from some dishonest players’ practice to literally put cards up their sleeves and use them when required. However, nowadays the card phrase is more often used as a figure of speech meaning to have a secret plan that could be used when needed.

Example: John might have lost the deal, but he still has a card up his sleeve.

#8 Trump Card

The idiom trump card actually has a similar meaning to having a card up one’s sleeve. However, we must clarify that the phrase has no relation whatsoever to the US president Donald Trump. Etymologically speaking the English word trump derives from trionfi, which is a XV century Italian playing cards game. Its name comes from the Latin word triumphus, which means triumph or victory. So, considering all the aforementioned facts, from a linguistic point of view, the phrase means “a winning card”. Taken literally, the playing card phrase is referring to having a card of a higher rank that you are ready to deploy strategically in order to win the game. Though you can still hear the phrase while playing cards, nowadays trump card is used more often in its metaphorical sense. It means having an advantage that other people do not know about that makes you more likely to succeed than them.

Example: Jane played her trump card. Without her signature, the flat could not be sold.

#7 To Show One’s Hand

As you could guess, the phrase to show one’s hands originates from the card players’ practice of revealing their cards during a game, usually at the end of it. As a figure of speech, to show one’s hands means to reveal one’s so far secret plans or intentions to others. Nowadays this card idiom is often used in common conversations.

Example: We couldn’t negotiate with the company’s owner without showing our hand.

#6 To Shuffle the Cards/Decks

Logically, the phrase to shuffle the cards originates from the dealer’s practice to shuffle the deck prior to each new card game. Changing the order of the cards is an essential part of each fair game. The figurative meaning of the phrase derives from its literal one. As a figure of speech, to shuffle the cards means to rearrange, change or reorganise something already established such as an organisation, a policy or a routine.

Example: No one in the company worked efficiently, so the new Vice President came ready to shuffle the deck and to change things around.

#5 Play One’s Cards Right

This phrase is quite straightforward and its literal and figurative meanings are rather similar. If playing your cards right in poker would lead to a positive outcome, playing your cards right in life would ensure that a situation becomes beneficial to you. So, it actually means that you make the best out of your opportunities or manage to negotiate correctly and end up getting the best results possible.

Example: She was in a pretty pickle at work, yet she played her cards right. So, she was not fired for incompetence but got a paid vacation to the Bahamas instead.

#4 Wild Card

In a game, a wild card can represent any card the player chooses. Similarly, in computing, the phrase is used to replace an unknown character and that’s very often pictured as an asterisk. It figurative sense, however, was born in the mid-19th century and refers to an unpredictable person or event. If something is a wild card, you shouldn’t count on it, in a way we could say the bets are off.

Example: Don’t count on Mandy for coming to the office party. She’s a wild card.

#3 Raise the Stakes

While it is fairly easy to understand what this phrase means in poker when it comes to everyday speech the task is not so simple. The Free Dictionary actually gives not one but two possible meanings. On the one hand, it means “to increase in importance or danger”. On the other hand, it is synonymous to the phrase “to increase one’s commitment or involvement.” Anyway, raising the stake implies both the chance to win more but also to lose more. Two similar idioms are “raise the ante” and “up the ante”.

Example: She was looking forward to a quiet romantic evening with her boyfriend, but he raised the stakes by taking her to her favourite restaurant and proposing.

#2 Follow Suit

Originally, “to follow suit” meant to play a card of the same suit as the last player before you. However, the phrase has taken quite a leap from there and now has a more general meaning. It is used when someone does as the others have just done when they imitate, follow the same pattern or follow someone else’s example.

Example: The boy jumped out of the window and a few other students followed suit as a couple of teachers watched by helplessly.

#1 House of Cards

This idiom is used to describe a plan or an organisation which has a very unstable structure and can be destroyed easily. Some etymological sources claim that it was first used in the figurative sense by John Milton, dating back to the 1640s. It is very popular today, indeed, and you might have seen or heard of the hit TV series bearing the same name and dealing with political drama. Without even reading the plot of the series, one can get a pretty good idea what it will be about just because of the choice of such a telling idiom for a title.

Example: The boss was unaware that the house of cards he called a company could come crashing down in a matter of days.

Honourable Mentions

Though the following didn’t make it into our top 10 of most widespread poker idioms, we strongly believe that it would be fun to have a look at them and think about where they came from into everyday English. These are also quite common, albeit not as common as the ones we have already ranked. This time, we’ve ordered the idioms starting with the most popular one and moving towards the least popular one.

• Within an Ace Of – To come within an ace of doing something means to be very close to something or to be close to doing something you are trying to do. Allegedly, the phrase dates back to the 18th century and the link to card playing is obvious.
• Raw Deal – It refers to a situation in which one is treated unfairly or otherwise badly. This one is quite popular perhaps due to the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie with the same name. Ironically, that movie was a failure according to the critics.
• Poker Face – If you’re wearing your poker face, it means you’re showing no feelings, i.e. you’re having a completely neutral facial expression which shows no emotions. Search for this expression and you’ll come across (too) many examples of Lady Gaga’s hit song that popularised the phrase to non-native speakers around the world.
• Lost in the Shuffle – To be or get lost in the shuffle means for someone to be overlooked or missed in a crowded or otherwise complicated situation. The figurative meaning of this one follows closely the literal one.
• All Bets Are Off – It means that the outcome of a situation or event is unpredictable. It stems from the idea that there have been some unexpected changes and since the situation is uncertain no one would take any bets, hence they’re off the table.
• Lay One’s Cards on the Table – It means to be completely honest and open about one’s intentions and just lay them out for everyone to see. At poker, laying your cards out on the table is the ultimate way of displaying what you’ve got. At that point, there’s no bluffing.
• Cash In One’s Chips – While cashing in one’s chips has a very positive connotation – it means you’ve had enough of the gambling and you’re ready to take your winnings – the figurative meaning of the phrase is much more macabre. It highlights the finality of the situation, emphasizing the end of gaming, or in a figurative sense – life. It means to die, to pass away.

All in all, the different playing card sayings and gambling phrases, as you can see, are a much bigger part of our everyday life that most people out there even imagine. And in all means, we love it. These idioms have deep routes in society and have become narratives for situations that would otherwise be impossible to express with words. And while we can spend a lot of time in explanations on how deeply gambling is involved in the behaviour and even the vocabulary of every single human, we would like to show you two more lists – one of the best online gambling sites for 2024 in the UK. As for those of you who are completely new to online gambling, we suggest you start playing at the best high low card game sites in the UK as the game is one of the simplest there is. Au revoir, for now, and don’t forget to check our blog for more interesting and funny details from the glamorous world of casinos, cards and dice!