Ace in the hole ' N8 [: |/ c \4 U a hidden advantage kept for later use that will help a person win (ace is a valuable playing card); alternatively, “an ace up your sleeve”, B g- t6 A* s# t f& ]# ?# Q1 a
EXAMPLE: ; _( t+ P' W% |, |" r7 F “When he tried to get a job at the XYZ Corporation, John did quite well in the rigorous interview process, but he knew that his ace in the hole was the fact that his wife had a relative on the board of directors.