Stack the deck
Meaning
To unfairly arrange circumstances, facts, or evidence to ensure a particular outcome, usually in one's own favor.
Origin
The phrase 'stack the deck' emerges from the deceptive world of card sharpers and professional gamblers. To 'stack' a deck means to secretly arrange the cards in a specific order before the game begins, guaranteeing certain players—often the cheat themselves—receive winning hands. This manipulation gives the illusion of a fair game while the outcome is, in fact, predetermined. As early as the 19th century, this vivid image of pre-arranged unfairness transcended the card table, becoming a potent metaphor for any situation where circumstances are manipulated to ensure a desired, often unjust, result.
Examples
- The manager stacked the deck against the new employee by assigning her to the most difficult projects with insufficient resources.
- Activists claimed the new electoral laws were designed to stack the deck for the incumbent party.