Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well.

The aphorism uses a card-game metaphor to argue that character and skill matter more than luck or initial advantages. “Good cards” stand for favorable circumstances—wealth, talent, health, connections—while “playing those you hold well” emphasizes agency: judgment, resilience, and ethical choice in responding to whatever conditions one receives. The line aligns with a common strain of 19th-century American moral humor (often associated with Josh Billings’s folksy persona) that prizes practical wisdom over complaint. Its enduring appeal lies in reframing misfortune: even with imperfect “hands,” one can still act intelligently and purposefully, and success becomes a matter of stewardship rather than entitlement.