Part of a pot

ANTE

Think of what you might bet before the cards are dealt in poker.

"Part of a pot" is a clever play on words. In poker, the "pot" is the pool of money players bet into, and an "ante" is the small forced bet each player contributes to start that pot. So while "ante" literally means a bet, it’s also a part of the pot since it helps create it. The clue uses the double meaning of "pot" (both the poker term and the literal container) to mislead slightly.