overplay one's hand
Push too hard
To overplay one's hand is to push an advantage too far, miscalculating one's position and losing what might have been gained with more restraint.
From card games where a player bets aggressively on a weaker hand than they realize: She overplayed her hand in the negotiations and walked away with nothing.
The expression implies both overconfidence and strategic error.
Calculated false front
Evaluate incorrectly
- overestimateJudge as greater than
- blunderFoolish, costly mistake
- miscalculateCompute incorrectly
- overreachExceed one's capacity
misstep · backfire · overconfidence · hubris · presumption · recklessness · imprudence · rashness
bluff
Calculated false front
all-in · call · fold · tell · gambit · wager · bet · stakes · cards · table
misjudge
Evaluate incorrectly
- overestimateJudge as greater than
- blunderFoolish, costly mistake
- miscalculateCompute incorrectly
overreach · misstep · backfire · overconfidence · hubris · presumption · recklessness · imprudence · rashness · folly
overplay one's handhold back
Prevent forward movement
hedge one's bets · keep one's powder dry · play it safe · proceed with caution · play one's cards right
overplay one's handerr on the side of caution
Prefer safety over risk
play it safe · tread carefully · proceed with caution · cover one's bases · leave money on the table
overplay one's handhide one's light under a bushel
Deliberately obscure one's abilities
overplay, hand, over, play, played, playing, plays, player, players