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Off the beaten path in most traditional casinos (although its popularity has grown in the online gambling market) there is a quiet, unassuming little game called Red Dog. While it is considered a variation on poker—as it uses the typical poker deck with cards ranked according to poker rules (however ace values are only high)—it’s there that all similarity stops.
The rules of Red Dog simple. To begin the game, players must first make their wager, after which and the dealer deals two cards face up on the table. If the two cards are in consecutive order ( i.e. 4, 5 or 10, J) the hand is then considered a “push.” If the two cards are identical (A-A, 3-3, etc.) a third card is then dealt. If that card is also a match, the dealer pays 11:1. If it is anything other than a match, the hand is considered a push.
The bulk of the game, however, involves every situation where the first two cards are neither consecutive nor identical. When this happens, the dealer announces the spread – that is, the number of cards in between the first two exposed cards. For example, if the first two cards dealt were a three and a jack, the spread is seven. There are a total of seven card values (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,and 10) that fall between the three and jack. Prior to dealing this third card, players are given the option of increasing their bet up to the amount of the original wager. The third card is then dealt, and if its value is in between the initial two cards, the player wins. If it is outside the first two cards, or is a match, the player loses. Payouts are determined according to the following schedule:
Spread Payout
1 card 5:1
2 cards 4:1
3 cards 2:1
4 or more 1:1
As you can see, Red Dog poker is really a very simple game. The house has about a 2.8% edge built in, and the only real decision a player need make involves knowing whether or not to increase the wager prior to drawing the third card. And just like the basic rules, the strategy for Red Dog is equally very simple. Any spread less than seven cards has a negative or losing expectation. Hence, players are only able to gain an edge in the game by increasing their wager when the spread is seven cards or higher. While this only earns the lowest payout, 1:1 it keeps the house’s edge at a minimum and gives players the best chance for some short-term gains.
J. Phillip Vogel is an online gambling expert and the author of Internet Gambling: How to Win Big Online Playing Bingo, Poker, Lotto, Sports betting and Much More. Now available at Amazon.com.
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