Okay, I'll admit it: I can't play poker. I've watched Casino Royale, but that's as far as my knowledge goes. Hey, I can play Twenty-One and Uno. Does that count? Anyway, I had a hard time with today's New York Times Mini Crossword clue. "Start a pot, in poker." What does that even mean?
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STOP SCROLLING! I'm about to reveal the answer. This is a final warning.
That's right, the answer to nine in the July 19 NYT Mini Crossword is "ANTES". An ante is a bet a poker player makes before being dealt any cards. The word can also be used informally to describe paying an amount of money up front. "He bet $1 million. How generous." Poker apparently has a lot of words.
I struggled with this crossword clue and honestly had to politely ask Google for help. (Hey, don't judge. You clearly had to do that too.) In retrospect, the answer made sense, but the clue surprised me as someone with almost no knowledge of poker. I'd say a difficulty rating of three out of five is fair when all is said and done. It is a commonly used term, after all.
