noun

ante

AN-tee

noun

The amount a player must put into the pot before a hand of cards is dealt.

"Each player tossed in a dollar ante before the dealer handed out the cards."

"The ante doubled every hour to keep the tournament moving."

verb

To put money into the pot before play begins, or more generally, to commit money or effort up front.

"You have to ante up before you can see your cards."

"The company had to ante up a lot of cash before the project even started."

How to Use Ante

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA required stake paid before a game starts, or informally, "pay up first."

Common mistake

"Up the ante" means to raise the stakes or demands, not literally to raise a poker bet mid-hand.

Common pairings

up the ante ante up pay the ante

anted past tense, anteed past tense, antes plural, Antes plural, antes singular

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Can you complete this real example?

Each player tossed in a dollar _____ before the dealer handed out the cards.

From Latin ante, meaning "before" — the money goes in before the hand is played.

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