Learn the Art of Playing Red Dog Poker Online

In-Between poker has been played throughout the United States since the 1800s. It was named because of the primary principle of the game. If the third card drawn' value exists between the initial two cards drawn, then the player wins. Unfortunately, the simplicity of the game allowed for foul play and the game slowly lost appeal among gambling communities.

The game saw a comeback as "Red Dog Poker" with the legalization of gambling in Las Vegas during the 1930s. This time around, the game was improved with revised rules that led to a steady increase in its popularity to this day.

How it's played

Red Dog poker is available to play on most gambling websites. It is usually played with two decks however; up to eight decks can be used. The principle of the game remains the same irrespective of the number of decks used.

  • The player selects the amount they would like to wager and clicks Deal.
  • The player receives two cards.
  • At this point, they have the option to draw the third card by continuing with their original bet, or to raise the wager to double the bet.
  • The player wins if the value of the third card is between the first two cards or all three cards have the same value.
  • If the value of the third card falls outside of the initial cards or is equal to only one of the cards, the player loses.

The value of the cards in Red Dog poker is the same as in any other poker game; the lowest card value is the deuce and the highest is the ace:

  • Ace = Value of 14
  • King = Value of 13
  • Queen = Value of 12
  • Jack = Value of 11
  • Two - Ten = Face Value

Additional rules

Sometimes the draw could lead to two cards of the same value or be of consecutive values like 6 and 7. In these cases, the following rules apply:

  • If two cards of the same value are dealt after the initial draw, a third card is drawn. If the value of this third card is the same as the initial two, the player wins.
  • If the initial two cards provide a consecutive value, then a "push" occurs, and the original wagers are returned to players' accounts.

Determining the payout ratios

The lower the spread between the cards, the higher the payout ratio will be. The spread is the difference in values between the first two cards drawn. This is due to the fact that with increasing spreads, the player has a greater chance to win.

Strategies

Due to the simplicity of the game, the player has little input, therefore a smaller scope of strategizing game play. However, the primary strategy is to decide when raise the bet after the first two cards have been dealt. At a spread of spread of seven, a distinct advantage over the house is gained, and most players would double their bets at this point. Playing with two decks, and a spread of seven gives the house a winning chance of only 3%. However, by taking a chance at lower spreads, a greater prize may be won.