Red Dog Poker is a card game of chance which is typically played with a single deck. While it is considered a variation of poker, this game does not have that much in common with standard poker. Your luck plays a huge role in the outcome of the game but that does not mean that there is no strategy to help you play Red Dog Poker.
This game is extremely easy to play and you can easily learn everything you need about it with a little help from us. We will explain the rules of the game, its specifics and the strategy that will help you enjoy a fruitful and fun experience while playing Red Dog Poker both online and at a land-based casino. Keep on reading, if you wish to become an expert in Red Dog Poker and learn how to make the most out of your virtual gaming time.
Basics of Red Dog Poker
The game of Red Dog Poker is old, although it was known as a different name prior to being called Red Dog Poker. The original name of the Red Dog Poker game was “in-between.” The objective of Red Dog Poker is to beat the dealer. There is some strategy used in Red Dog Poker, but you are also going to need to rely on luck in you are going to win.
Red Dog Poker is one of the few casino games that is generally played with only one deck. The reason Red Dog Poker is only played with one deck is that the house advantage is actually higher when one deck is used, as compared to using multiple decks. Some casinos, however, utilize two or three decks, as it brings the house edge closer to even.
The game of Red Dog Poker begins with an Ante. After the ante is placed, the dealer issues two cards. A player may choose to raise or may request the third card without a raise. Once the player decides whether he wishes to raise or merely continue, the third card is dealt. If the third card falls between the original cards, the player wins. If the card falls outside the two cards, the player loses. Cards are valued from the lowest card being 2 to the highest being Ace in Red Dog Poker.
The amount of money a player of Red Dog Poker can earn is based on the gap between the two original cards. The lower the gap is, the higher the payout. When the gap or spread is one card, a winning player receives five to one on his bets. When the spread spans two cards, a player wins four to one. A spread of three cards awards Red Dog Players two to one on their bets, while a four-card spread pays even money. In the event a player receives three of a kind, this hand pays out eleven to one in Red Dog Poker. Payouts do, however, vary by casino. Be sure to learn the payouts specific to the casino where you are playing Red Dog Poker prior to wagering.
As for Red Dog Poker Strategy, a player can benefit from raising hands that are likely to pay off. For example, when a Red Dog player has a hand that is spread five cards – such as a two-seven, the player should raise. A player should simply continue with smaller gaps – such as the four-six hand. Red Dog Poker is simple to play and easy to learn. Essentially, in Red Dog Poker, players are dealt two cards and they win if the third card falls in between those two original cards. It further stands to reason that when the third card is either higher or lower than the original two cards, the player loses in Red Dog Poker.
Rules and Objective of Red Dog Poker
Many players enjoy Red Dog Poker as it is really easy to play and even those who are new to the game can learn the rules in no time. As it was mentioned earlier, the game is typically played with one deck but there are some rare versions of Red Dog Poker where there might be up to 8 decks.
In order for the game to begin, there must be at least two players. When you play Red Dog online, however, you are always competing against the dealer and there are no other players, besides you. While the face value of cards plays an important role in the game, their suits are irrelevant to the results.
The game begins with a bet called ante, after which there are two cards being drawn from the deck and placed on the table facing upwards. After the two cards are revealed there are four possibilities for how the game will proceed. The first option is for the two cards to be in consecutive order, such as 4-5 which will result in a push and the player’s bet being returned.
The second variant is when the two cards that are drawn are of the same value. In this case, a third card is being drawn. In the instances when the third card is of the same rank, the player receives a payout of 11 to 1. If the third card, however, is with a different value, it is considered a push and the player receives his/her bet back.
If none of the three scenarios, mentioned above happens, there is a spread announced and the game of Red Dog begins. The payout depends on the spread, i.e. the difference between the ranks of the two cards. After the spread is announced, the player has the chance to double his/her stake. The bet is won if the third card that is drawn ranks between the two original cards. If it has a lower or higher value, however, the bet is lost.
The spread that is announced after the two original cards are drawn determines the size of the payoff. The bigger the spread is, the lower the payout that winners will enjoy is. If there is just a single-card spread between the two cards, then a win will bring the player a payout of 5 to 1. If there is a two-card spread and the player wins the bet, the payout will drop down to 4 to 1. If the spread is three cards, then a winning wager will pay out 2 to 1. In those cases when the spread is anywhere between 4 and 11 cards, the payout will be 1 to 1.
Odds on Red Dog Poker
As it was mentioned earlier, Red Dog Poker is usually played with a single deck as adding more decks will give players bigger chances of winning their bets. Taking into consideration the rules of the game, only a spread of 7 or higher is actually with positive odds. Even if the Red Dog variation that you play is with more decks, it is advised to raise the stake only if the spread is with 7 or more cards. While it is true that a smaller spread guarantees a better payout, the winning chances when the spread is below 7 are very small and the house definitely has an advantage over the player. Even though some players that enjoy playing risky tend to double their bets when the spread is 6, the probability of winning that hand is 46%. Meanwhile, when the spread is 7, the probability of winning increases to 54% which means that the odds of enjoying a payout are actually positive.
Even when playing with multiple decks, players are advised to double their stakes only on a spread higher than seven. This being said, more decks definitely affect the house edge of the game. A game of Red Dog Poker where a single deck is used gives the house an advantage of 3.155%, add an extra deck and that percentage will drop down to 3.077%. Four decks on Red Dog will mean that the house edge is 2.884%, while six decks will guarantee an even lower advantage of 2.789%. While it is not a common thing, there are Red Dog Poker variations that are played with eight decks which will give players a better advantage and will lower the house edge significantly to 2.751%.
The great thing about playing Red Dog online is that you can explore different variants of the game and find one that is played with more than one deck. This would give you a better advantage, meaning that your winning chances will be higher. Keep in mind, however, that you are always advised to double your bet only if the spread is 7 or higher.
Red Dog Strategy
Since Red Dog Poker is mainly a game of chance, there is hardly any strategy that can be used while playing. This being said, there is a certain size of the spread when players are advised to double their ante bet.
Let us take for example a draw of 3 and 8 where the spread is 4 since there are four cards that can actually rank between them. After the player receives the information about the spread, he/she must make a decision. The Red Dog strategy requires players to base their choices on the value of the spread. In the case of spread of 4, players must stand.
According to the optimal strategy, players should not raise their initial stake if the spread is below 7. Sticking to that advice will help you play with the lowest possible house edge. While it is tempting to double your bet when the spread is just 2 or 3 and it offers a better payout, doing so, in most cases, will cost you losing a lot of money.
You might see some players raising their bets when the spread is 6 but in that case, the odds are still against them. This is why the most reasonable action, and the one expert players are following, is sticking to doubling the wager only when the spread is 7 or higher.
Another part of the Red Dog Poker strategy includes the search for a variation with multiple decks. As it was mentioned earlier, the best option is playing with 8 decks, as this will guarantee the lowest house edge. This means that players will have the best winning chances on a Red Dog Poker game with 8 decks. Combining such variation with the perfect strategy can definitely improve the winning chances of players. While 8-deck versions of Red Dog can be difficult to find at land-based casinos, virtual gaming sites often offer multi-deck variants of the game.
Conclusion
Red Dog is a fun casino game that many players enjoy as it is rather easy to play. If you are playing online regularly, then you will notice that numerous virtual casinos offer the game. Gaming websites are perfect for the fans or Red Dog Poker and they often present variations of the game that can hardly be seen at brick-and-mortar casinos.
The rules of Red Dog Poker are extremely simple and the outcome of the game largely depends on players’ luck. While there is not a lot of a strategy that can be utilized while playing Red Dog, players should still pay attention to the house edge of the variant they are playing.
The best way to increase one’s winning odds is to play with more than one deck. What is more, knowing when to double your bet and when to stand is extremely important if you wish to make the most out of your Red Dog Poker game. This is a simple, yet very entertaining game of chance and virtual players have the chance to enjoy it at numerous interactive casinos.