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Welcome to English in a Minute!
Double means two. But why would you double down?
Double Down
Speaker A: Anna, I took your advice. I asked my soccer coach if he could cut our practice hours.
Speaker B: Practicing three days a week is way too much. Good for you!
Speaker A: No. Bad for me! He doubled down. Now we have to practice four days a week.
Speaker B: Sorry. At least you’ll be in shape.
Speaker A: Or injured!
When you “double down”, you strengthen your position or strategy, even if it’s a risky one.
This expression comes from the card game blackjack. Doubling down involves doubling your bet at a risky point in the game.
And that’s English in a Minute!
*This article has been edited and reprinted from VOA Learning English with permission from Voice of America (VOA) for use in English language materials.
English 
日本語