Poker table payment (4)
I believe the answer is:
ante
<span class="explanation-format__ClueExplanation">'<span class="explanation-format__original">poker table payment</span>' is the definition.<br/ ><span class="explanation-format__explanation">(I've seen this in another clue)</span><br/ ><br/ >This is all the clue.<br/ ></span>
(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" .)