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A Guide to Online Red Dog Poker Rules & Strategy

Red Dog Poker is a fun online casino game played with 52 cards. If you are familiar with the basic fundamentals of online gambling (how to wager, how to raise) and have played card games in the past, you can learn how to play Red Dog Poker effortlessly.

The aim of the game is to hit consecutive cards dealt face up. Depending on what the player is dealt, a third card may also be dealt. The stakes can be low, making Red Dog Poker online perfect for all wallets.

Let's take a closer look at the basic rules of Red Dog and take you through some key strategy tips to help your bankroll.

This page is for you if:
  • You want to play Red Dog Poker online
  • You are curious about the rules
  • You want to learn some basic strategy
  • You are looking for the best Red Dog casinos on the net

The Rules of Red Dog Poker: Online Casino Basics

Red Dog Poker Rules

After an initial ante, or bet, the dealer will deal two cards face up. Every round comes with three possibilities:

The Push: If two cards are dealt in consecutive order (such as an 8 and a 9) the hand is a push and your bet is returned.

The Third Card: If the two cards are the same, like two Jacks, the dealer will instantly deal a third card. If this card is also the same, you win a nice payout of 11:1.

The Spread: If neither of the above scenarios happens, the game continues with the dealer announcing a "spread". A spread is the amount of cards that fit between the two cards dealt to make them consecutive. For example, a spread between a 3 and an 8 would be four because there are four cards between them.

At a casino’s online Red Dog Poker game, there are four different spreads, each with their own payout. Once the spread has been announced, you will get the option to "raise" (double your bet) or "call" (keep your bet as is) based upon the two cards showing.

From here, the third card will be revealed. If it falls between the values of the first two cards, you win. For example, if there is a 3 and an 8 on the table, the spread is 4. If the dealer reveals a 5, you would win a 1/1 (even money) payout. If the card does not fall in the spread, you lose.

Payouts

When you play online Red Dog Poker for real money, the smaller the spread the better it will be for your bankroll.

But, as previously mentioned, this is a game of chance. Like always, confirm the payouts on the website. For now the following is the standard Red Dog payout:

Red Dog Poker Basics
  • Card spread: Pays 5/1
  • Card spread: Pays 4/1
  • Card spread: Pays 2/1
  • 4+ card spread: Pays 1/1

Remember there is one higher pay-off available: should the dealer lay out three-of-a-kind (e.g. J-J-J), you automatically win an 11-1 payout.

A Guide to Basic Red Dog Poker Strategy

When you’re playing an online casino’s Red Dog Poker game and you are dealt a spread, you should follow this basic strategy. If you read over the rules, you will know that you can raise your bet before the third card is revealed.

The only time you should raise is when there is a 7-card spread or greater. This is because you will have a high probability of doubling your money when you have this outcome. When you have a card spread of less than seven, statistically speaking, the odds are in the casinos favor. Stick to your original wager rather than making a raise.

If you‘re a gambler who likes to take a little risk, you could raise with a spread of 6 or greater because the chances of winning are around 46%. This move is up to you and does not adhere to the perfect strategy of Red Dog Poker.

As we mentioned in our overview, when you play Red Dog Poker for real money, try to find games which use more than one deck. The more decks used, the better your chances are of adding those extra digits to your bankroll. You can find online casino Red Dog Poker games which play with six or even eight decks of cards. In these multi-deck games, and when you raise your bet on spreads of seven or higher, you can reduce the house edge to 2.75%. With a game that uses one deck the house edge is 3.15%; 2 decks is at 3.07%.

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