student asking question

What does "when the chips are down" mean? and is it common phrase?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"When the chips are down" means "when a difficult situation occurs / when something bad happens". Ex: When the chips are down, try not to get depressed or give up. Keep smiling and do the best that you can. Ex: Your real friends will never leave you, even when the chips are down.

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