What does it mean to have an as up your sleeve?

Having an As (ace) up your sleeve means keeping a hidden resource or unexpected advantage ready for the moment when it will help you most. The expression comes from cheats who hid a card in their clothing so they could slip it into the game.

Origins of the expression

The phrase is self-explanatory as soon as you imagine the scene: a player with wide-cuffed shirts, a smoke-filled room, and a card that appears out of nowhere exactly when it is needed. Hiding cards in one's sleeve was one of the best-known tricks of professional cheats, and that is precisely why it ended up becoming a common expression.

There is no document marking the exact day it was born. What we do know is that the idea is repeated in many languages: in English it is said to have an ace up one's sleeve, and in French they speak of having un atout dans sa manche, a trump in the sleeve. Everything suggests that the expression travelled the same paths as the card games themselves.

Why an As and not another card?

Because in many games, the As is the highest-ranking card. In Brisca [a trick-taking game for 2-4 players], in Tute [a popular trick-taking game], or in Guiñote [a classic game from Aragon], it is worth eleven points and wins almost any trick. If you are going to cheat, it is logical to do so with the most valuable card. If you are curious, we have an entire post on why the As is worth more than the Rey [King].

How it is used today

Today, almost no one uses it with cheating in mind. It is said of a lawyer who saves a piece of evidence for the end of the trial, a team that keeps its best player on the bench for the second half, or someone who has a Plan B in case the first one fails. It has a hint of craftiness, but it no longer sounds like a crime.

• "Don't worry, I still have an As up my sleeve."
• "The coach was keeping an As up his sleeve for the final quarter."

And at the table?

In a real game, the only As up your sleeve that counts is your memory: remembering which cards have been played and which ones are left. That really is playing with an advantage, and a fair one at that. If you want to practise, sit down for a game of Spanish cards and start counting trumps.