What Is Red Dog?
Red Dog (also called Acey-Deucey or In-Between) is a fast casino card game with a single decision. Two cards are dealt and you must guess whether the NEXT card will fall in rank BETWEEN the two dealt cards. The closer the two cards are in rank, the harder this is — but the bigger the payout. It’s pure betting with one elegant choice.
What You Need
- A standard 52-card deck (casinos use 5–8 decks)
- 1 to 8 players
Card Rankings
Ace is highest. Cards rank from 2 (lowest) through Ace (highest). Suits don’t matter.
How to Play — Step by Step
- Place your initial bet before cards are dealt.
- Dealer deals two cards face-up.
- A Spread is announced — the number of card ranks that fall between the two dealt cards.
- You may now Raise (add up to your original bet) or Stay (keep original bet).
- The dealer deals a THIRD card.
- If the third card falls in rank between the first two, you WIN. If it matches or falls outside the range, you lose.
Special Cases
- Consecutive cards (e.g., 7 and 8): no spread. It’s a PUSH — bet returned.
- Pair (e.g., two 7s): A third 7 is dealt. If it’s also a 7 (three of a kind), you win 11:1. Otherwise, Push.
Payouts by Spread
- Spread of 1 card (e.g., 6 and 8, only 7 fits): 5:1
- Spread of 2 cards: 4:1
- Spread of 3 cards: 2:1
- Spread of 4–11 cards: 1:1
Strategy Tips
- Raise only when the spread is 7 or more — statistically, that’s where raising has positive expected value.
- Never raise on a spread of 3 or less — the odds are against you.
- With a spread of 7+, more than half the remaining cards fall in range — raising makes mathematical sense.