Description
Red Dog is a card game similar to
Acey-Deucey and In-Between. The game is played on a blackjack-sized
table with two betting spots "bet" and "raise" using a 52-card deck. Only three cards are played per
hand. Card suit is not relevant in Red Dog.
The popularity of Red Dog is largely
due to its simplicity. As the pros say, if you can
remember the number seven and know how to subtract,
then you can play Red Dog as well as anyone in the
world.
Objective
As
a player, you place an opening bet and the dealer will
deal two cards. The object of the game is to bet on
the likelihood that the rank of a third card is going
to fall between the first two. If it does fall between,
you win. If it doesn't, you lose.
So far, it's too
simple. This is where the "raise" bet comes in and it's based on the "spread".
Spread is the number of card values that lie between
the two initial cards. The value of any card from 2
to 10 counts at face value, a jack counts as 11, a
queen as 12, a king as 13, and an ace counts as 14.
A couple of examples
are worthwhile. Let's say the dealer deals a 7 and
a 10. What's the
spread? Since 8 and 9 fall between the 7 and 10, the
spread is 2. Ok, let's say the next hand plays a 4
and a 5. The spread? Since the cards are consecutive,
no cards fall between 4 and 5, it's called a "tie",
you keep your money and the hand is over.
The interesting
part of Red Dog is betting on the spread. This is an
optional second
bet
where you go for a bonus payout. The house sets the
odds based on a simple principle: the narrower the
spread, the higher the potential payout ("bonus").
Betting
As indicated, you
open with a bet and the dealer deals two cards. The
cards are placed
face up on the table and the dealer will place a marker
to indicate (a) the spread and (b) the odds the house
offers on an additional bet (the "raise"). If you bet
no further, you will win your original bet at even
money if you win the hand.
If you do decide to raise, you're
betting at house odds as printed on the Red Dog table.
If you win, you get your original bet at even money
and the raise bet at the odds indicated.
If the first two cards are a tie
consecutive cards you keep your bet.
If the two cards are a pair, betting
stops but you'll get paid at 11:1 if the third card
makes it three of a kind. Otherwise you lose your bet.
Finally, if the third card matches
either of the first two, you lose your bet.
Payoff
In a winning hand, opening bets are
always paid out at even money. Raise bets are paid
out based on the spread as follows:
| Spread |
Payout |
| 1 |
5:1 |
| 2 |
4:1 |
| 3 |
2:1 |
| 4 through 11 |
1:1 |
