Ante

Ante, literally before, is a stake in poker and similar games. It is put up by a player before receiving cards. An amount of money is put up as a stake. As a general term, it also denotes what is at stake in a conflict or dispute before any discussion is held to resolve them, such as 'up the ante in the trade war' which simply means raising the stake.

This word is also used as a prefix to a word denoting before.