Crossword Genius

Bet animal is cut in half (4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

ante

'bet' is the definition.
(ante is a kind of bet)

'animal is cut in half' is the wordplay.
'animal' becomes 'ant' (ant is a kind of animal).
'is' becomes 'be'.
'cut in half' suggests halving the letters.
'be' halved is 'e'.
'ant'+'e'='ANTE'

(Other definitions for ante that I've seen before include "Each player's initial contribution to the pot" , "Money for poker" , "Player's stake in poker - a ten? (anag)" , "Initial stake in a poker game" , "Stake, bet" .)

I've seen this clue in The Hindu.
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