• Red Dog is a fast-paced card game
• You need at least 2 players and a standard 52-card deck to play
• You can play Red Dog Poker online on this page

Put your Red Dog Skills to the test at Gaming Club Casino These days there are so many casino games on offer, with most casinos pushing their online slots offering more than any other game that it’s easy to forget that there is a wealth of variety outside of slots that many often overlook. Red Dog Poker is a simple game to learn and it follows that the strategy is a simple one as well – If the Spread is 6 or below, ‘Stand’ as there is more chance of losing the hand than winning. If the Spread is 7 or above, ‘Ride’ as there is a better chance of winning than losing so it pays in the long term to maximize your stake. Red Dog is a popular card game in which the object is to win your wager during your turn. Learn the basics of the game, including how to deal and wager properly.

There's a whole world of Casino games out there that most players know nothing about.

Most Casinos focus on Slots, Blackjack, and Roulette - and it's easy to miss some great hidden gems like the Red Dog card game.

Created as a variant of the (slightly) more popular Acey-Deucey, Red Dog is a fast-paced and luck-based Poker variant you can find at a few brick-and-mortar Casinos and on online gaming sites like this one.

In this guide, you are going to learn:

• What's Red Dog Poker
• How to play the game like a pro
• What's the best strategy to win at Red Dog Poker
• What's the house edge of this Casino game
• How much you can win playing it

What is Red Dog Poker

Red Dog is a card game that you can find also under the names of Red Dog Poker and Yablon.

The official Red Dog game uses one to eight standard 52-card decks. The number of decks in play has a direct correlation with your winning odds and the house edge - and that's something you'll learn in the 'House Edge' section of this guide.

A game of Red Dog needs at least two players to begin and the goal of the game is to have the largest chip stack at the end of the action.

Here's a handy table to recap the basic info you need to know about this Casino card game:

How to Play Red Dog

Learning how to play Red Dog Poker is very simple.

All the cards are ranked as in a standard Poker game, whether card of the same suit being irrelevant and Aces always being the highest cards in the game.

The Rank of Cards in Red Dog Poker

The rules of Red Dog card game you find in this guide refer to online Red Dog Poker. When you play online, you are always in a 1 on 1 battle against the dealer, so there are no other players in the hand.

The Ante Bet

At the beginning of the game, you need to place an Ante bet on the table. This betting round takes place before you can see your cards.

The Deal

When the action begins, the Dealer deals two cards face up, with leaving room for a third one in between them.

Once the two cards are on the table, you need to choose whether the third card will fall between them or not.

Here's where you need to remember the ranking of cards.

Also, consider the spread - the difference in values between the two cards. In other words, how many cards can actually fall in the gap you need.

For example, if you get a 3 and an Ace, then a 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, or Queen would help you win; these winning cards make a spread of ten cards.

Ride or Stand

If you believe that the third card will fall between the two already dealt by the dealer, choose Ride (or Raise) to double your Ante bet and continue with the game.

If you don't feel so confident, the Stand (or Call) button lets you continue with the same bet amount.

End of the Game and Payouts

In the end, Red Dog card game has four outcomes.

1. Your initial cards are consecutive

For example, you get a 4 and a 5. There’s no spread to be filled, the hand is a push.

Your wager stays untouched and you can get new cards with the same bet or change it.

2. Your initial cards match

For example, you get an 8 and an 8. Again, there’s no spread to be filled. Nevertheless, you get a third card.

Games To Play With Your Dog

If it makes a three of a kind (in this case, would get a third 8), you receive an impressive 11 to 1 payout!

If it doesn’t, it’s another push.

3. The third card’s value is identical to either card on the table or is outside the spread

For example, you get a 5 and a 9 as initial cards, and a 3 as the third card.

The card’s value doesn’t belong in the spread - you lose your wager.

4. The third card’s value falls between your initial cards

For example, you get a 3 and an Ace as initial cards, and a Queen as the third card.

You’re lucky to get a third card that falls in the spread, you win.

Your payout depends on the spread size:

In the example above the spread was 10, so the win pays even money.

Red Dog Poker Strategy

Your best chance to win at Red Dog is to use the spread to your advantage.

In the game of Red Dog Poker, the dealer needs to account the spread as soon as the first two cards are dealt and they are neither equal nor consecutive.

Once you know what the spread is, you have info to win your game of Red Dog Poker.

How To Play Red Dog Poker

Don’t bet blindly. The best strategy is to base your actions on the spread.

The larger the spread is, the more chances you get to win your hand.

Don’t believe me? Simple math doesn’t lie. Check the table below.

As with the majority of Casino games, you can employ a Red Dog Poker strategy to increase your chances of winning and keep the house's edge to a minimum.

But you need to be smart.

Although it is tempting to try to hit the largest wins and continue betting when the spread is of one or two cards - you shouldn't do that.

A tried and tested strategy indicates that regardless of how many decks are in play, you have a mathematical edge only when the spread is seven or higher.

Thus, never raise your bet when the spread is less than seven.

The House Edge in Red Dog Poker

Even though you have some impressive odds when the spread is seven cards or more, you can’t really affect the game to get such odds (or such spread) on every hand.

That gives the house a pretty big edge.

The house edge in Red Dog is strictly connected to the number of decks used in the game.

In a game played with just one 52-card deck, the house edge is 3.15 percent, meaning the Casino has the highest possible advantage it can have in the Red Dog game.

The best odds for you are in a game where eight card decks are used, as here the house edge shrinks to 2.75 percent.

Don’t get me wrong. 2.75 percent is definitely not a house edge you should always aim for when you gamble. You can find Casino games with a lot better odds, take Blackjack, for example.

But if you need a fun and simple game, why not giving Red Dog Poker a try?

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Red Dog – also known as Acey Deucey – is one of the simpler casino table games out there. The dealer flips up two cards, and if a third card is from a rank in between those two, the player wins. Simple enough! Because the game is fast paced, there’s a lot of action; however, because the game is so simple, anyone can play. That makes it perfect for those who want to gamble but aren’t sure they want to spend much time learning the strategies for more complex games.

After reading the rest of the notes, practise below before playing for real money. This is a flash game and may not work on some devices

Red Dog Poker Guide

How To Play Red Dog Poker

Before each hand of Red Dog is dealt, each player must make a bet. The dealer then puts two cards on the table, face up. If these two cards are of consecutive ranks – for instance, a ten and a jack, or a four and a five – then the hand is a push, and the dealer deals out the next hand instead. If the two cards are of the same rank, the dealer will deal a third card. If that card is also of the same rank, all players win 11-1 on their bets; otherwise, all bets push.

In all other situations, the dealer will announce the spread between the two cards. The spread is the number of ranks that exist between the two cards. For instance, with a four and a seven on the board, the spread is two; fives and sixes are the only ranks between them.

At this point, the player is given the option of raising their bet. The player may make a second bet equal or less to their original bet, if they wish. There is no penalty for not raising; it is entirely optional for the player.

After all players choose whether or not to raise, the third card is dealt. If the card is between the first two cards, the players win; if the third card is equal to one of the cards on the board, or outside of the spread entirely, all bets lose.

Pay Charts

Winning bets are paid according to the following pay chart, based on the spread between the first two cards:

Red Dog Poker Tips

The proper strategy for Red Dog is very simple. The player has an advantage over the house whenever the spread is seven cards or more. Therefore, the player should choose to raise only when the spread is seven cards or more. Otherwise, just stick with your original bet. The house edge for Red Dog is usually around 3%. Interestingly, unlike in most casino games, it’s actually better for the player if the casino is using more decks to deal their games; with a single deck, the house edge is about 3.16%, while with eight decks, that falls to 2.75%.