hole card

American

noun

Stud Poker. the card dealt face down in the first round of a deal.
something held in reserve until it can be used to advantage.

Etymology

Origin of hole card

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Seahawks also have the hole card of a win over the Giants, giving them the edge in any ties with New York.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 28, 2022

And long-term, Seattle does have something of a hole card here if it really wanted to force the issue in the franchise tag after the 2022 season.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 11, 2022

And one of the worst setbacks a leader can confront is losing his advantage on the issue that had been his hole card.

From Washington Post • Dec. 22, 2021

They’d play that table, and if the stars aligned, that dealer might unintentionally reveal the hole card.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2021

I looked beneath it at my hole card; another ace—a pair, back- to-back.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023