In American slang aces
has meant "the best" since at least the beginning of this century. The
Expression comes to us from the game of poker, where aces have the greatest
value of all the cards. The term ace for "an ace flier" derives from the
same source, but was first recorded in England during World War I; an air ace at
the time generally had to have shot down at least five enemy planes.
Ace, also
from poker, is now an obsolete historical term for "a run" in baseball. An
ace in tennis, badminton and handball, among other games, is a placement
made on a service of the ball, while an ace in golf is a hole in one.
The trademarked Ace bandage, used to bind athletic injuries, uses ace
meaning "best," too.
Ace figures
in a large number of expressions. To ace a test is to receive an A on it
and ace it means "to complete anything easily and successfully." To
be aces with is to be highly regarded ("He's aces with the fans.") and to
ace out is to cheat or defraud ("He aced me out of my share."). Easy
aces in auction bridge denotes aces equally divided between opponents, while
to stand ace high, an old saying, is to be highly esteemed.