Red Dog is a renowned card game, also called High Card Pool. Some casinos also name it Yablon and Ace-Deuce. The game is played between 3 to 10 players. Played with the traditional consisting of 52 cards. The players bet with chips or money based on availability. The player with the higher-ranked cards wins the bet.
There are a plethora of variations in the card games industry, Red Dog is one of them. Moreover, it is further sub-divided into different types, depending upon the casino’s location and gameplay, such as Sam, Polish Red Dog (Polski Pachuck), and Shoot.
In this article, we have discussed rules, gameplay, and variations of Red Dog.
Rules to play Red Dog
- You don’t have to raise the bet to stay in the game.
- Sequence cards like Ace-1-2-3 have lesser value than King-Queen-Ace.
- Suits (diamonds, spades, clubs, and hearts) have no significance, only the ranking of the cards matter.
- Ace has a top rank, whereas, 2 has the lowest.
- The face cards like, king, queen, and joker are valued at 10.
- If two dealt cards are identical, then the third card is dealt, and if it is also the same, the player will get a heavy payout (11:1).
How to play Red Dog
Originally as banking games, red dog is played with a standard card deck, consisting of 52 cards. These cards are ranked from high to low points, for instance, the sequence of cards based on the ranking is; Ace, King, Queen, Joker, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
Minimum three and maximum 8 players can play at a time. The dealer changes after each turn, however, the first dealer is chosen randomly. Before every turn, each player places an equally wagered bet into the pot, also known as ante in the language of gambling. Then the dealer deals five cards to each player and they look at the odds.
The dealing will always start from the player present on the left side of the dealer, moving clockwise and ending on the dealer. Each player gets a chance to wager money/ or chips. Always bet according to the amount ante, never bet below it if you want to get more profit. After your bet the dealer will burn a card, taking it from the top of the deck, and showing it to all players. Then, the dealer will place it face up to the end of the deck.
If the dealt card is from the same suit and is higher in rank, then you can show the card and take your wagered money back and also get a similar amount from the pot. If the dealt card is not from the same suit, show all the cards in your hand. Then the dealer will take your stake and add it to the pot. Similarly, all the players will bet on their turns and follow the same procedure.
After your turn, the next player will place his bet against pot, depending upon what is left in it. In the case of an empty pot, all the players place the initial stake into the pot to continue the game.
After everyone’s bet, the first dealer passes the turn to other players. The amount present in the pot remains there for the next turn. However, if the amount in the pot is larger, then players divide it equally among themselves and bet a new pot.
In order to engage more players, a simple variation in the dealt cards can be done. For instance, the dealer deals 3 to 4 cards to each player, so that the players don’t run out of cards.
Strategies to get optimal benefits in Red Dog
Red Dog is a quite simple game, somewhat similar to cards you play at home. But if you want to win huge payouts, you will have to develop your own poker strategy. In this section, we have discussed a few gaming strategies, which can be utilized during gameplay. These strategies are easy to learn.
- Develop the skill to read the table; don’t get nervous with the ins and outs of the game.
- In comparison to poker, you don’t have to raise the betted money in Red dog. Stay put and bet minimum bets.
- In order to win big money, you should be well aware of two things; when to stand and when to raise/ride.
- Lastly, developing your own strategy is a key to winning big money.
Why Play Red Dog Poker?
There are plenty of casino games present online and brick-and-mortar casinos. However, no other game is as simple as Red dog. Some of the features, why to play Red Dog are mentioned below.
- Simple gameplay
- Limited round
- Can be played with minimum bets
- RTP is around 96-98%
- Best for amateur players
- Available in almost every (online) casino
- Accessible through mobile phones
Variation of Red Dog
Red Dog can also be played by putting up a bank, for instance, in Slippery Sam and Shoot. In this variation, the players don’t have to place a bet. Moreover, if the pot gets empty, the deal is passed to the succeeding player.
Shoot
In this variation, the dealer stakes the amount, after getting the consent of the players. The minimum and maximum amount are agreed upon; no player can bet more or less. Only three cards are dealt by the dealer to each player, they can only see their cards on their turn. You must bet between on the agreed amount in the pot. The dealer takes the card out and if you win show your cards and get your wagered money and the same amount from the pot.
Slippery Sam
This variation is a bit different from the above-mentioned, as the players bet on the card dealt by the dealer without showing their cards. In Slippery Sam each player gets three cards each, but they are not allowed to look at them. The dealer deals the cards on the table until the number 6 or lower comes. After that the players bet on having higher cards than the dealt card, if the player wins, he will show his cards, to get money from the pot. Slippery Sam is also known as Six-Spot Red Dog.
Polish Red Dog
This game is somewhat similar to Slippery Sam. The main difference between these two variations is that the player blindly bet without seeing their own cards and dealer’s card. Everything else is similar to other variations.
Conclusion
We hope this article will help you develop a complete understanding of the Red Dog and its variations.
