The Winning Hand is a collaborative compilation album by Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Brenda Lee.

Monument Records launched a major radio, retail and advertising campaign budgeted at $100,000 to carry the album to country, pop and adult contemporary audiences.

Monument printed approximately 5,000 decks of promotional "Winning Hand" cards, with Nelson and Kristofferson as the kings, Lee and Parton as the queens.

Winners won an expense-paid trip to see any act of their choice from The Winning Hand album in concert in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe or Atlantic City.

Foster, Kristofferson, Nelson, Lee and Parton immediately agreed to both of Cash's suggestions, but it took a couple of years to arrange the schedules of these five superstars for the special to become a reality.

[2] Billboard published a review in the November 13, 1982 issue which said, "From the ultra-visual packaging to the liner insert penned by Johnny Cash, this is an engaging project involving three former Monument artists and one currently signed to the reactivated label (Kristofferson).

"[8] The review published in the November 13, 1982 issue of Cashbox said, "This is the ace that Fred Foster has been saving to play once Monument finalized its distribution agreement with CBS, and the LP is worth the wait, providing an assortment of duets and solo efforts made possible by adding recently-recorded tracks to existing material from the Monument vaults.

Though the combination of this fearsome foursome is in itself a strong suit, the two-record set is enhanced by inspired cover art and thoughtful liner notes by Johnny Cash.