stack the cards

stack the cards (against someone or something)

To make surreptitious arrangements that result in an unfair advantage over someone or something else. (Likened to fixing a deck of playing cards in one's favor during a card game.) Of course, simply by virtue of his being the boss's son, Jeremy has stacked the cards against the rest of us for an early promotion. The mega corporation has been accused of trying to stack the cards with billions of dollars spent putting political pressure on members of congress.
See also: card, someone, stack
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

stack the cards

If you stack the cards, you give someone or something an unfair advantage or disadvantage. The Government appears to have used the study in order to stack the cards in favour of a new runway at Heathrow. The current prime minister hates me! He stacks the cards against me. Note: A stacked deck of cards is one that has been altered before a game in order to give one player an advantage.
See also: card, stack
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
See also:
  • stack the cards (against someone or something)
  • steal a march
  • steal a march on
  • steal a march on (someone or something)
  • steal a march on somebody
  • steal a march over (someone or something)
  • steal a march upon (someone or something)
  • steal the march on (someone or something)
  • steal the march over (someone or something)
  • steal the march upon (someone or something)
References in classic literature
When their hearts is touched they're likely to stack the cards, look at the bottom of the deck, an' lie like the devil - beggin' your pardon, ma'am.
How could we, when the Election Commission (EC) had done its best to stack the cards against voters who wanted change.
By then, a cut of 50 MPs, and redrawn constituency boundaries will stack the cards heavily against Labour, whoever leads the party.
ONE: Stack the cards in ASTEROID, order and cut the cards as often as you like.
Directing his words towards Iran, Mubarak stated, "The recent crisis has exposed an attempt to exploit the Israeli aggression in order to impose a new reality on the Palestinian and Arab arena -- a new reality that will stack the cards in favor of a well-known regional force, Iran, for the benefit of its plans and agenda." According to Mubarak, the goal of Tehran's involvement in the conflict was "to take away the Palestinian Authority's legitimacy in order to bestow it on the factions and Hamas."
The fact he's blessed with perfect pitch and an amazing knack of writing delicious pop songs also helped stack the cards in his favour.
Smith must think long and hard about this process because if he's still at the helm when the time comes to pick a new man he should stack the cards in his own favour.
But if it was only sex you were after - and it was consensual - I can see that you could stack the cards in your favour."
India is rallying other disgruntled nations, including the group of "like-minded" countries that believe that the existing rules of free trade stack the cards against them.
The beliefs of parents may then stack the cards in favor of the testing and measurement movement.
We might be three- handed, but we'll stack the cards up, and make a final deal nearer the time."
Weaving together powerful influences and circumstances that stack the cards against these children, even before their births, the author provides considerable support for the argument.