have the cards stacked up against (someone or something)

To be unlikely to be succeed due to some existing circumstances, conditions, or obstacles that are likely to present difficulties. Tiffany wants to pursue a career in modeling, but she's only five feet tall, so she has the cards stacked up against her. Their campaign has the cards stacked up against it, thanks to a lack of funding. We all have the cards stacked up against us if the CEO's daughter is also a candidate for the job.