Poker table payment (4)
I believe the answer is:
ante
'poker table payment' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for ante that I've seen before include "expected from stake" , "Stake put up before the deal" , "Initial stake in a poker game" , "Hoofed mammal" , "A neat sort of prefix" .)