Table stakes
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In poker, table stakes refers to the maximum a player can bet and possibly lose during the course of a single hand. It is the money he or she has on the table at the beginning of that hand. This is in contrast to the classic poker notion from the movies of a player "betting the wagon wheels" when a good hand comes along.
- See the main article at poker table stakes rules.
In business, Table Stakes also refers to the minimum entry requirement for a market or business arrangement. It can refer to pricing, cost models, technology, or other capability that represents a minimum requirement to have a credible competitive starting position in a market or other business arrangement. For example, if you want to be a Wireless service provider the table stakes are the basic features you need to have in order to be in that business to achieve foundation capability - Network, Handsets, a data service, a mail server etc. Beyond that real competitive advantage comes from additional nimbleness and cost or product differentiation.