| Red-Dog
poker rules are very basic, as there isn't much to the game. You may have
read earlier that with each variation on classic poker, the greater the
changes the less skill is needed for the game. Red dog seems to be the epitome
of this statement. The cards are ranked just as they are in poker, aces
are high, suit is irrelevant. The first player is dealt two cards by the
dealer after placing a bet (sometimes referred to as an ante, but the amount
can vary). If the two cards are consecutive (i.e. 4,5) the hand is considered
a push and the bet is returned. If the cards are equal a third card is dealt.
If it is the same as the first two cards the player wins and is paid 11
to 1. Otherwise the hand is a push. Some variations of the game allow you
to bet on whether the third card on two equals is higher or lower than the
value of the equal cards.
If the two cards maintain a spread (they are not equal or consecutive)
the player is allowed to choose to either 'raise' or not raise. To raise
means to double your initial bet. This is the only opportunity to alter
your bet in red dog, and as a rule it's the most important aspect of a
good strategy.
The spread is equal to the number of cards that exist between the two
cards dealt, not including them. A 4 and a 7 have a spread of 2. A 9 and
a King have a spread of 3. When the third card is dealt, if it lands between
the initial two cards (within the spread) the player wins. Standard red
dog rules state that a 1 card spread pays 5 to 1, a spread of 2 pays at
4 to 1, a spread of 3 pays at 2 to 1, and every larger spread pays even
money.
Your best red-dog strategy is to raise on spreads of seven or more. As
you can see from the following table, the player holds the statistical
edge for any spread of seven or more. Larger payouts, while available for
bets on lower spreads, maintain a house edge of over 20% and do not represent
a good playing strategy.
| Expected
Gain By Raising |
| Spread |
Pays |
Probability of winning |
Player's Edge |
| 1 |
5 |
0.077419 |
-0.535484 |
| 2 |
4 |
0.154839 |
-0.225806 |
| 3 |
2 |
0.232258 |
-0.303226 |
| 4 |
1 |
0.309677 |
-0.380645 |
| 5 |
1 |
0.387097 |
-0.225806 |
| 6 |
1 |
0.464516 |
-0.070968 |
| 7 |
1 |
0.541935 |
0.083871 |
| 8 |
1 |
0.619355 |
0.238710 |
| 9 |
1 |
0.696774 |
0.393548 |
| 10 |
1 |
0.774194 |
0.548387 |
| 11 |
1 |
0.851613 |
0.703226 |
| Chart provided by wizardofodds.com |
|
