hole card
Americannoun
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Stud Poker. the card dealt face down in the first round of a deal.
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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.
Jan. 6-7 at Arizona: For much of the year this game has seemed like a winning hole card for the Seahawks to end the year.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 3, 2023
But the hole card the Seahawks have is hosting the 49ers in a Thursday nighter, which might be as consequential as any Thursday night game this season.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 20, 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 showed my hole card ace; John had three queens.
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
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
