I consider these to be examples of playing the cards, not the hand itself.

The torture the analogy still further:

The "hand" is things like your place and family of birth, your inherited traits, the stability and safety of your upbringing, the quality of your education, your peers and so on.

The "playing" of the hand is things like:

* Taking advantage of US citizenship to much more easily obtain residency and jobs in the tech sector capitals of SV and NYC.

* Taking advantage of a gregarious nature to meet people, shake hands, become known.

* Seizing the chance to work with people you met at high school or in college.

And so on. The total space of all choices and outcomes is greatly narrowed by elements outside of perceptible detection and control ("luck"); but what's left is still a very large set.