10A With nothing to cling on to, major needed to get a life (4) ?I?G
3D Jabber on about cracking finish in gambling game (5,4) P?K?R ?I?E (Could it be Poker Dice? I can see POKER = Jabber but I'm stuck after that.)
10 Biog - biography, a life. Big, major, with o, nothing.
3 D. Poker Dice . The 'jabber' is a poker, finish is die and there's a 'c' from circa, about. Poker Di c e.