the cards beat all the players

the cards beat all the players

obsolete All who would try to win against chance or fate will inevitably lose. You know that doing that could get you killed! You've been lucky so far, but the cards beat all the players.
See also: all, beat, card, player
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

the cards beat all the players

You can't win 'em all. A fatalistic phrase which tells us that destiny—in the form of a randomly shuffled deck of playing cards—has ultimately the upper hand, no matter how skillful a player might be.
See also: all, beat, card, player
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
See also:
  • lucky
  • come out ahead
  • star
  • (even) the best of friends must part
  • the best of friends must part
  • thank one's lucky stars, to
  • lucky break
  • should
  • seek and ye shall find
  • lucky in love
References in classic literature
For though gamesters say that the cards beat all the players, though they were never so skilful, yet in the contest we are now considering, the players are also the game, and share the power of the cards.
Essays Second Series