Ante (noun)

A stake put up before a game or contest to ensure that all participants have something at risk.

Origin:

From latin ante "before".

Examples:

1. The ante was a small amount of money, but it was enough to make the game more interesting.
2. He raised the ante, putting more money into the pot.
3. The ante is a small amount of money that each player must put into the pot before the start of a poker game.
4. The ante is usually a small percentage of the minimum bet, and it is usually used to create a pot for the winner.
5. The ante is a common practice in many card games, including poker, to increase the stakes and make the game more exciting.