---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You play the hand you're dealt. I think…"
description: "\"You play the hand you're dealt. I think the game's worthwhile.\" — Christopher Reeve"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/308/christopher-reeve-7715_football_you-play-the-hand-you-re-dealt-i-think-t_2416782.jpg"
---

#  You play the hand you're dealt. I think the game's…

![“You play the hand you're dealt. I think the game's worthwhile.” quote by Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/308/christopher-reeve-7715_football_you-play-the-hand-you-re-dealt-i-think-t_2416782.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/308/christopher-reeve-7715_football_you-play-the-hand-you-re-dealt-i-think-t_2416782.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/308/christopher-reeve-7715_football_you-play-the-hand-you-re-dealt-i-think-t_2416782.jpg)

> “You play the hand you're dealt. I think the game's worthwhile.”

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Life presents circumstances beyond our control; we must make the best of them and find value in the effort.

**In simple terms:** Make the most of what you have and see worth in the struggle.

Key Takeaway

Embrace your situation and seek purpose.

Themes

resilience acceptance purpose

Mood

determined reflective

Type

motivational philosophical

When to use this quote

- career challenges
- personal setbacks
- health crises
- team projects
- daily routines

Key Concepts

Existentialism agency meaning-making

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you find meaning in constraints?
- What actions turn a difficult situation into growth?

A Different Perspective

It may ignore systemic factors that limit choices.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Game Worthwhile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game-worthwhile-5684980/) [Hand Dealt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hand-dealt-375258/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-hand-238116/) [Think Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-game/) [Worthwhile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worthwhile/)

## Related quotes

> [Play the hand you're dealt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/play-the-hand-you-re-dealt/)

[Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/)

> [I think you've got to play the hand that you're dealt and stop wishing for another hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-binchy/i-think-you-ve-got-to-play-the-hand-that-you-re-dealt-and-stop/)

[Maeve Binchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-binchy/)

> [Play the hand your dealt, don't play the hand you wish you were dealt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmina-siderovski/play-the-hand-your-dealt-don-t-play-the-hand-you-wish-you-were-dealt/)

[Jasmina Siderovski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmina-siderovski/)

> [I have to play the hand that was dealt me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-white/i-have-to-play-the-hand-that-was-dealt-me/)

[Jesse White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-white/)

> [“You play the hand you are dealt. To dwell on the cards you would have preferred is to allow others to play theirs before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-livingstone/you-play-the-hand-you-are-dealt-to-dwell-on-the-cards-you-would-have/)

[Andy Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-livingstone/)

> [You've just got to kind of play the hand you're dealt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-epstein/you-ve-just-got-to-kind-of-play-the-hand-you-re-dealt/)

[Theo Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-epstein/)

> [“The game is worthwhile in so far as we don't know what will be the end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foucault-michel/the-game-is-worthwhile-in-so-far-as-we-don-t-know-what-will-be-the-end/)

[FOUCAULT MICHEL](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foucault-michel/)

> [Just think about the game. Think about playing great, having a great time. Helping my team win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deion-sanders/just-think-about-the-game-think-about-playing-great-having-a-great/)

[Deion Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deion-sanders/)

> [There's no excuse to give up the hand you're dealt. You've just got to keep fighting and make something positive out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-evans/there-s-no-excuse-to-give-up-the-hand-you-re-dealt-you-ve-just-got-to/)

[Mike Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-evans/)

> [“hand you were dealt.” “I know,” Katz said, nodding. “I did. And look how far away we—sorry, you are from even being a blip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-j-harris/hand-you-were-dealt-i-know-katz-said-nodding-i-did-and-look-how-far/)

[Blake J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-j-harris/)

> [“Everyone has to deal with the hand that they are dealt with in the poker game called Life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-andronic/everyone-has-to-deal-with-the-hand-that-they-are-dealt-with-in-the/)

[Hannah Andronic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-andronic/)

> [Everyone has a certain hand dealt to them and you just have to work out whether you can keep going. The thing is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-sharp/everyone-has-a-certain-hand-dealt-to-them-and-you-just-have-to-work/)

[Lesley Sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-sharp/)

> [“You played the hand you were dealt. Complaining about the unfairness of it all was best left to teenagers, activists, and other lower life-forms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-carella/you-played-the-hand-you-were-dealt-complaining-about-the-unfairness/)

[C.J. Carella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-carella/)

> [“…ultimately we all deserve the hand we’re dealt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-doiron/ultimately-we-all-deserve-the-hand-we-re-dealt/)

[Paul Doiron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-doiron/)

> [“We don’t get a choice about what hand we are dealt in this life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-boorstein/we-don-t-get-a-choice-about-what-hand-we-are-dealt-in-this-life/)

[Sylvia Boorstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-boorstein/)

## More by Christopher Reeve

> [The bigger the canvas, the better I do. I'm not so good at understated, kitchen-sink kinds of parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/the-bigger-the-canvas-the-better-i-do-i-m-not-so-good-at-understated/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [I am optimistic. But I also know that, with time, I'm beginning to fight issues of aging as well as long-term paralysis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/i-am-optimistic-but-i-also-know-that-with-time-i-m-beginning-to-fight/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [“I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. The fifteen-year-old boy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/i-think-a-hero-is-an-ordinary-individual-who-finds-the-strength-to/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [I think we all have a little voice inside us that will guide us. It may be God, I don't know. But I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/i-think-we-all-have-a-little-voice-inside-us-that-will-guide-us-it/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [ I'm starting a new chapter in my \[\[life\], and you have no idea how much that means. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/i-m-starting-a-new-chapter-in-my-life-and-you-have-no-idea-how-much/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [We live in a time when the words impossible and unsolvable are no longer part of the scientific community's vocabulary. Each day we move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/we-live-in-a-time-when-the-words-impossible-and-unsolvable-are-no/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [My father is an intellectual and physical man, which is a rather unusual combination. He's great. As he brought up me and my brothers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/my-father-is-an-intellectual-and-physical-man-which-is-a-rather/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [A hero is an ordinary person doing things in an extra ordinary way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/a-hero-is-an-ordinary-person-doing-things-in-an-extra-ordinary-way/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [Living a life with meaning means spreading the word. Even if you can't move, you can have a powerful effect with what you say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/living-a-life-with-meaning-means-spreading-the-word-even-if-you-can-t/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [When the first Superman movie came out, I gave dozens of interviews to promote it. The most frequent question was: What is a hero?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-gave-dozens-of-interviews-to/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [All the scientists who are working on solving the problem of curing paralysis say that it won't do you any good if you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/all-the-scientists-who-are-working-on-solving-the-problem-of-curing/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [It's defeatist to harp on what might have been, and yet, it's hard to resist considering what might have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/it-s-defeatist-to-harp-on-what-might-have-been-and-yet-it-s-hard-to/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [“I have to stop this cascade of memories, or at least take them out of their drawer only for a moment, have a brief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/i-have-to-stop-this-cascade-of-memories-or-at-least-take-them-out-of/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

> [What can I do today to take a step forward?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/what-can-i-do-today-to-take-a-step-forward/)

[Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

[Explore all 88 Christopher Reeve quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/)

## More Football quotes

> [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/)

[Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/)

> [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/)

[Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/)

> [There are guys who play lacrosse, and there are lacrosse players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-mundorf/there-are-guys-who-play-lacrosse-and-there-are-lacrosse-players/)

[Brendan Mundorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-mundorf/)

> [Giggs is the realest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kaluuya/giggs-is-the-realest/)

[Daniel Kaluuya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kaluuya/)

> [You get a new coach; you do things a little differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-manning/you-get-a-new-coach-you-do-things-a-little-differently/)

[Archie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-manning/)

> [You gotta have a little kid in you to play football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-edwards/you-gotta-have-a-little-kid-in-you-to-play-football/)

[Herman Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-edwards/)

> [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/)

[Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/)

> [My team mates are fundamental for my characteristics, if they send in crosses I can play inside the area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filippo-inzaghi/my-team-mates-are-fundamental-for-my-characteristics-if-they-send-in/)

[Filippo Inzaghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filippo-inzaghi/)

> [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/)

[Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/)

> [“Wild card, got it," Duncan said. "Just like in Crazy Eights. I can be a diamond; I can be a spade. Whatever you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-healy/wild-card-got-it-duncan-said-just-like-in-crazy-eights-i-can-be-a/)

[Christopher Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-healy/)

> [Leo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Eden. Every year, you look at their numbers - score goals, assists, minutes - to see they play very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro/leo-cristiano-ronaldo-neymar-eden-every-year-you-look-at-their/)

[Pedro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro/)

> [It's a lot harder to play football when you haven't got the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/it-s-a-lot-harder-to-play-football-when-you-haven-t-got-the-ball/)

[Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/)

> [I just enjoy winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-bogaerts/i-just-enjoy-winning/)

[Xander Bogaerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-bogaerts/)

> [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/)

[Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/)

> [We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/we-cannot-change-the-cards-we-are-dealt-just-how-we-play-the-hand/)

[Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/)

[Browse all 59,646 Football quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "You play the hand you're dealt. I think the game's worthwhile.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Christopher Reeve"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/you-play-the-hand-you-re-dealt-i-think-the-game-s-worthwhile/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Football"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/you-play-the-hand-you-re-dealt-i-think-the-game-s-worthwhile/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/308/christopher-reeve-7715_football_you-play-the-hand-you-re-dealt-i-think-t_2416782.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/308/christopher-reeve-7715_football_you-play-the-hand-you-re-dealt-i-think-t_2416782.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/308/christopher-reeve-7715_football_you-play-the-hand-you-re-dealt-i-think-t_2416782.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You play the hand you're dealt. I think the game's worthwhile.” — Christopher Reeve",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Christopher Reeve",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "You play the hand you're dealt....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/you-play-the-hand-you-re-dealt-i-think-the-game-s-worthwhile/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/you-play-the-hand-you-re-dealt-i-think-the-game-s-worthwhile/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
