Gambler's stake is a term used to refer to the amount of money that a gambler puts up in order to participate in a game. The two crossword solutions for this term are ANTE, which is a four-letter word, and EWE, which is a three-letter word. ANTE is derived from the Latin word for 'BEFORE' and is used to refer to the initial stake that a gambler puts up BEFORE the start of a game. EWE is an archaic term for a female sheep and is used to refer to the stakes that a gambler puts up during the course of a game.