# play with a full deck

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/play-with-a-full-deck
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To behave in a manner suggesting that one is of normal intelligence, alert, and mentally stable.

## Examples

- He says strange things, so I doubt he is playing with a full deck.
- After hearing his bizarre plan to fix the broken engine with tape and glue, I began to wonder if he was playing with a full deck.
- The witness gave such a disjointed and irrational account of the evening that the detective privately questioned whether the man was playing with a full deck.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.