Hold all the cards

Origin

Picture a tense card game, where one player, through skill or sheer luck, finds themselves dealt every single card of consequence—all the aces, kings, and vital trump cards. This mythical hand, while impossible in most games, represents an absolute, unassailable position of power, leaving opponents with no chance of victory. The phrase leaped from the literal card table, where a hand of unbeatable cards dictates the game's outcome, to describe anyone who controls all the crucial elements in any negotiation, conflict, or competition, holding every single advantage and dictating the terms.