Over the last week we have covered how to play Red Dog, all of the Red Dog Rules, and even why I love big red dogs to begin with (Clifford!).
So by now you might have tried a few hands of Red Dog yourself (if you haven’t, you can download a free Red Dog game here). While the game is very simple to play, a lot of it is still left up to intuition.
“Hmmm… I have a 6 card spread. Should I raise or just continue?”
In this edition of the How To Play Red Dog series, we’ll put those questions to rest. But first, let’s take a look at the odds you face when playing this fun casino game.
Red Dog Odds
Like most card-based table games, the odds of Red Dog depend on the number of decks used in the game. Most of the Red Dog games I have played use 6 decks, but just in case you’re an odds junkie and run into something different, here are the Red Dog odds depending on how many decks are being used:
| Number of Decks | House Edge |
| 1 | 3.155% |
| 2 | 3.077% |
| 4 | 2.884% |
| 6 | 2.798% |
| 8 | 2.751% |
Usually, the odds of table games (like blackjack) become worse as more decks are used. But in Red Dog, the opposite is true. So if you notice only one deck being used in your game, you’re looking at a .3% odds advantage!
Red Dog Strategy
Perfect Red Dog Strategy is easier than you think. Here it is:
Raise when the spread between the first 2 cards is 7 or higher. Otherwise, just continue without raising.
When I say a 7 card spread, that means there are 7 cards in between the first two cards. For example, if the first two cards are a 2 and a 10, this would be a spread of 7 (the 7 possible cards in between are 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9).
“Why a 7 card spread?” you may be wondering. Well, looking at the statistics, when there is a 7 card spread or greater, you are more likely to win than lose. If the spread is 6 cards or less, then you are more likely to lose than to win. Therefor, you want to raise ONLY when you have this advantage.
Red Dog Final Thoughts
That’s all there is to this simple and fun casino game! Are you ready to start playing? You can download a free Red Dog game (along with over 130 other free casino games) from Silver Oak Casino by clicking on the Play Now button below.
Have you tried out Red Dog? How do you like this game compared to similar games like Baccarat? Let me know in the comment section below!