More Card Idioms - English Vocabulary with Jennifer

Hi everyone. I'm Jennifer from English with  Jennifer. You may know that I've played  

a lot of card games in my life. I grew up playing  popular games like Blackjack, Slapjack, Go Fish,  

and some less common games like Steal the Pile and  500. I hope that card games don't die out because  

of video games and entertainment apps. There  are a lot of idioms related to playing cards,  

and they sure make a lot more sense  if you've actually played these games.  

In this lesson, I'll share four expressions.

"To play your cards right" means to do things in  the best way possible in order to be successful  

and get what you want or get something of  value. We often use this in an IF-clause.

If you play your cards right, you might  get a promotion in one or two years.

He's a good athlete, and he could get a  scholarship if he plays his cards right.

If you're good at keeping your face  expressionless, then you know how to  

have a poker face. You can have, keep, or wear  a poker face. It's like keeping a straight face.

Sometimes you want to hide what  you're thinking or feeling.  

This is important in card games  because you don't want to reveal  

if you have good or bad cards. That would be  giving too much information to your opponents.

So, imagine a business setting. During  negotiations, Dave always has a poker  

face. Until the deal is final, you don't know  whether he's happy or not with the terms.

Sometimes winning in cards depends on skill. Other  times, you either have good luck or bad luck. When  

you draw a card from the deck, it may be a good  card or a bad card. That's the luck of the draw.  

This expression refers to chance.  You have no control over the outcome.

I bought an economy seat on the plane,  and I had no choice about seating.  

I ended up in a row with extra leg room and empty  seats beside me. It was just the luck of the draw.

You know, one card game I never  had any interest in learning  

is bridge. I understand though that the four  suits are ranked: clubs, diamonds, hearts,  

spades. I believe spades have the  highest value in poker, too, so if  

you have something...anything in spades, that's  a good thing. It means you have a lot of it.

Liliana has intelligence and wit in spades. Sergei  is very hard-working. He has ambition in spades.

Okay. Quick review. If you do things in the best  way possible in order to be successful, you...

play your cards right.

If you don't change your expression in order  to hide your thoughts and feelings, you...

keep a poker face.

When things depend on chance, that's just...

the luck of the draw.

If someone is very generous, we  could say they have generosity...

in spades.

For practice, finish my  sentences with your own ideas.

That's all for now. Please like the video  if you found it useful and interesting.  

As always, thanks for watching and happy studies!

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