About Online Poker - Check out here everything you need to know about how to play the Red Dog Poker game.

How to play

The structure of the game
A hand in Red Dog poker consists of three cards, which are dealt 2 and 1. The goal is that your third card will be higher than one of your initial cards and lower than the other.

The game of Red Dog poker starts with each player placing an opening bet. This bet is sometimes referred to as an Ante, though its sum can vary.

After the opening bet the dealer gives out to each player two cards. The important thing is the "spread", the number of cards that can come in-between those two initial cards. The closer ranking the two cards are, the smaller the chances of winning are - but the bigger the money which can be won.

Following the distribution of the cards the dealer places a mark, which shows the spread and its odds . The player makes his second and final bet, deciding whether he wants to raise or not. If he raises and wins, he can double his money or more, according to the odds. If he doesn't raise and wins, he will receive his money back.

Then a third card is dealt, determining whether the player had won or lost, and what sum will he rake.

The Hand
A hand of Red Dog poker consists of three cards. An Ace ranks only high, as 14. Suits are not important for the game.

To win a hand of Red Dog poker the third card's rank must be in the "spread", or in-between, the first two cards. For example, if you were given a 4 and a 9 and then given a 6, you have won because that number is in-between the ranks of your two initial cards. The spread in this example is 4, and the cards that fall into that are 5,6,7, and 8.

A "consecutive hand" means that the first two cards dealt are in sequence, for instance a 7 and 8. In such a case there is no spread. Therefore the hand is called a "push", meaning a tie. The player simply receives his bet back from the dealer.

A paired hand, in which the first two cards are identical, also has no spread. In most cases the player will not have to place a bet in order to be given the third card. If that card is similar to the first two, and a three of a kind is formed, then the player has won and will receive the highest value for his money: 11 to 1. If that card is not similar then the hand is considered a push. In some games the player has the option, in a pair situation, to bet on whether the third card will be higher or lower than the pair.

The second betting is the only point in the game in which a player needs to make a strategic decision. At the second betting the player may choose to raise, which in a game of Red Dog means to double your first bet.

The amount of money won depends on the spread. A big spread means more chances of winning and therefore a smaller amount will be awarded. Following that logic, a small spread means less chances of winning and therefore a larger amount will be awarded.

A "payout" in Red Dog refers to the possible money gained from a certain hand, according to its spread. When winning a hand, the player receives his original betting plus a payout, according to the following odds: