lay one's cards on the table
lay one's cards on the table or lay down one's cards or put one's cards on the table {v. phr.}, {informal}
To let someone know your position and interest openly; deal honestly; act without trickery or secrets.
In talking about buying the property, Peterson laid his cards on the table about his plans for it.
Some of the graduates of the school were unfriendly toward the new superintendent, but he put his cards on the table and won their support.
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Source: A Dictionary of American Idioms