In poker, the term “cripple” is often used to describe a player who has lost a significant portion of their chips or stack, usually due to a big pot or several bad hands in a row. When a player is “crippled,” they typically have very few chips left and are at a severe disadvantage compared to other players at the table.
A crippled player may be forced to play very conservatively, only making the minimum bets and hoping to catch a lucky break, or they may choose to go all-in with what little they have left in an attempt to double up and stay in the game.