all cards on the table
AWL KARDZ on the TAY-bul
ɔːl kɑːrdz ɒn ðə ˈteɪbəlListen
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Dictionary meaning
to disclose all relevant information openly, without concealment, hidden agendas, or strategic withholding, enabling all parties to make decisions based on complete and accurate knowledge; the metaphor derives from card games in which concealing one's hand provides competitive advantage — laying all cards face-up on the table voluntarily surrenders that advantage in favour of transparency; in negotiation, diplomacy, and personal relationships, putting all cards on the table signals a commitment to good faith over strategic self-interest and invites reciprocal honesty; it is the opposite of information asymmetry and the foundation of genuinely informed consent, though it is rarely practised in contexts where information genuinely constitutes power
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