card

get your cards be dismissed from your employment. British informal

☞ Cards are the national insurance card and other documents relating to an employee that were in the past retained by the employer during the period that the employee worked for them. Give someone their cards means 'make someone redundant'.

have a card up your sleeve have a plan or asset that is kept secret until it is needed. British

hold all the cards be in the strongest or most advantageous position.

a house of cards: seehouse.

keep (or play) your cards close to your chest (or vest) be extremely secretive and cautious about something. informal

☞ The previous two idioms both refer to a hand of cards in a card game. If you hold all the cards you have a winning hand, while card players who hold their cards close to their bodies ensure that no opponent can look at them.

mark someone's card: seemark.

on the cards possible or likely.

☞ This phrase, a North American variant of which is in the cards, probably refers to the practice of using playing cards or tarot cards to foretell the future.

play the - card exploit the specified issue or idea mentioned, especially for political advantage.

☞ In modern usage the phrase is most commonly deployed as play the race card, with reference to race relations, but it is first recorded in the remark of Lord Randolph Churchill (1886) that, concerning Irish Home Rule, 'the Orange card would be the one to play'.

2018Mel SherrattHush Hush Her shoulders drooped again, thinking of her daughter, and her granddaughter. It wasn't entirely Jade's fault, but she did play the victim card far too often.

play your cards right make the best use of your assets and opportunities.

put (or lay) your cards on the table be completely open and honest in declaring your resources, intentions, or attitude.

show your cards: see show your hand atshow.