chest one's cards

Verb

chest one's cards (third-person singular simple present chests one's cards, present participle chesting one's cards, simple past and past participle chested one's cards)

1. (literal) To hold one's hand close to one's chest so that other players cannot see the cards.
   • Another hand was dealt. Skookum chested his cards, looked down into them with one bright eye. The game went on.1930, Lowry Charles Wimberly, Prairie Schooner - Volumes 4-5, page 231
   • The request, "Chest your cards, please," or an equivalent, should be obeyed promptly.1969, Conde nast publications, Vogue's book of etiquette and good manners, page 71

   Synonyms:

   keep one's cards close to one's chest, hold one's cards close to one's chest, play one's cards close to one's chest, keep one's cards close to one's vest, hold one's cards close to one's vest, play one's cards close to one's vest

2. (broadly, figuratively) To be careful and reticent about sharing information about one's resources and intentions.
   • As is now obvious, the element that is different from other discovery techniques discussed above is that the defendant is actually at risk: if it continues "chesting its cards," it may pay the price of being found liable, at least in part.1994, Kent Spriggs, Representing plaintiffs in Title VII actions - Volume 1, page 421
   • The hardball line tells you to chest your cards (and maybe slip a couple up your sleeve).2013, Michael Wheeler, The Art of Negotiation: How to Improvise Agreement in a Chaotic World, →ISBN