Wiktionary
holding the cards
vb. (present participle of hold the cards English)
Usage examples of "holding the cards".
The man who had dealt the hand that exposed Colton sat holding the cards.
He stopped her, putting his hand on hers that was holding the cards.
Still holding the cards, Sophie wiggled slowly down within the quilts and coverlets, thinking--or perhaps not thinking, not thinking at all but feeling certain--that Lilac had, in some regard, been lying to her.