Cowboys loved a colorful phrase! If you pull up your tent stakes, you're ready to leave. To up stakes meant to leave, usually suddenly.

Origin: Originated back in the 17th Century - at that time, stakes were driven into the ground as markers to show boundaries of a land area. When you went out and pulled up the stakes, it often meant you were moving.

Yes, you are allowed to pull these out of the ground. But you can not pull OB stakes out of the ground.

Pucker Up Stakes was created in 1961.

To "up the stakes" means to increase the amount of risk. It's similar to "up the ante." You would say "we're going to up the stakes and go for the big money."