Maybe tick playing card in a hand, initially (8)
I believe the answer is:
arachnid
'maybe tick' is the definition.
(tick is a type of arachnid)
'playing card in a hand initially' is the wordplay.
'playing' is an anagram indicator.
'initially' indicates taking the first letters.
The initial letter of 'hand' is 'h'.
'card'+'in'+'a'+'h'='cardinah'
'cardinah' with letters rearranged gives 'ARACHNID'.
(Other definitions for arachnid that I've seen before include "Member of the spider family" , "Spider, mite, tick etc.; had in car (anag.)" , "Incy Wincy Spider, say" , "Harvestman, possibly," , "Class of animal including spiders and scorpions" .)