be in the hole
1. slang To lack money; to be in debt. I'm really in the hole after that night at the casino. That vacation was great, except that I'm totally in the hole now.
2. slang To be at a disadvantage when playing a sport, especially to be behind in points. Boy, they're really in the hole, down three goals in the first period.
3. To have a score lower than zero when playing a card game. I did well with the first few hands, but now I'm constantly in the hole.