Chips are Down

Etymology:

• This expression was used by gamblers while playing poker. This term originated a few years ago. Chips are actually plastic disks used by poker players, to represent money, in the course of betting. Chips placed in front of any players represent a particular amount of money that is ready for a bet. When the pile of the chips goes down it means that the player is short of money and the situation is critical. Now, this expression is used to describe any difficult situation.