Red Dog is played with a varying number of standard 52 card decks, ranging from one to six. In some casinos eight decks are known to be used. In this game suits are irrelevant. The ace is the highest and the other cards are ranked in the order of their denomination, as in poker. The game begins by the players making their wagers. The dealer then deals two cards face up on the table. A shoe is used to deal the cards. If the cards are consecutive, such as a nine and ten or king and ace, the deal is a push and the players’ wagers are returned to them. If the two cards are equal, such as both sixes, the dealer deals a third card face up. If this card is of the same denomination as the other two, then the players are paid out at 11: 1. If the third card is different then the deal is a push again.
Most of the times the two cards will neither be consecutive nor equal and the spread will come into play. The spread is the number of cards in between the dealt cards. If the dealt cards are three and six, the spread is 2. The highest spread is 11 for two and ace. The dealer calls the spread and the players can increase their wager subject to a limit of twice the initial wager. After the additional bets are placed the dealer deals the third card face up. If this card is the same as the first two cards or is outside the spread then the players loses their wagers. However if the third card falls in the spread then the players are paid out according to the following schedule. If the spread was 1 card the payout is at 5:1; if the spread was 2 cards the payout is at 4:1; if the spread was 2 cards the payout is at 4:1; if the spread was 3 cards the payout is at 2:1; and if the spread was 4 cards or more the payout is at 1:1.
In Red Dog either all players win or all players lose. However the amounts won depend on their individual wagers and can be different. After placing their initial bets the only move the players can make is to increase their bets. Odds favour the players only when the spread is seven or more. However players play on luck and instinct. The smaller the number of decks, the easier it is for players to keep track of the cards remaining in play, but the house edge decreases as more decks are used. The house edge with one deck is 3.16% and with eight decks it is 2.75%.