Do You Have An 'Ace Up Your Sleeve'?
When you "play your cards right" in a game, you use the cards you've been given in a skillful way in order to win. This phrase can also mean acting in a clever way to get what you want. Here are some other card game expressions to give you "an ace up your sleeve."
An ace is a powerful card, and one way to cheat at poker is to hide an ace in your sleeve so you can add it to your other cards. So, having an "ace up your sleeve" is used to say that you have a secret advantage.
For example, if you were watching a Rugby World Cup game with a friend, you might say, "Scotland have a great team. Japan will have to play their cards right in order to win!" Your friend might reply, "I'm not worried; Japan have an ace up their sleeve — Kenki Fukuoka is on the bench."
"Raising the stakes" in a game of poker means to increase how much money everyone is gambling with. It can also mean adding more risk and more reward to other situations.
So your friend might say, "Let's raise the stakes. If Japan wins you have to buy me dinner."
When players are asked to "ante up," in poker, they have to add to the amount of money that can be won before they are given their cards. This phrase can also mean paying what you promised, especially when you don't want to.
So if Japan won the game, your friend might say, "It's time to ante up and buy me dinner!"
