throw in your hand

To give up on some endeavor; to quit or abandon something. An allusion to card games, especially poker. I've been working on this book for over a year, and I'm getting nowhere with it. I think I'm ready to throw in my hand. You'll never find a fulfilling, long-term relationship if you throw in your hand as soon as you have a big fight.

If you throw in your hand, you give up trying to do something because you know you cannot succeed. We must increase the military and diplomatic pressure on him to throw in his hand. Note: In card games such as poker, if you throw in your hand, you put your cards on the table to show that you accept that you have lost.