Red Dog Bonus

Playing Red Dog with a bonus online can reduce the house edge by 0.4%. That creates a theoretical pay out ratio of 97.2% which translates to a 6.25% reduction to the house edge. Playing here you can wager $35.71 a hand and average a loss of $1 per hand of Red Dog played. For every dollar that you wager you can expect to lose approximately 2.8 cents.

Wagering requirements: 250 x bonus
25 x ($200 deposit + $200 bonus) at 20% discounted rate = $10000/$200 bonus = 250 x bonus.
Pay out %: 96.8%
Expect to lose 3.2 cents for every $1 wagered.
Pay out with bonus: 97.2%
$400 Bonus x 250 = $100000 play through, $100000 x (96.8%) = $96800 winnings, $96800 + $400 bonus = $97200, $97200(payouts)/$100000(wagers) = 97.2%

Red Dog Facts

Skill Level Needed: Nil
Aces: high
Type of game: Playing cards
House Edge: Depends on how you play, odds in general are bad.
What to look for: Nothing in particular.

Object of Red Dog

To predict whether or not the third card will be higher than the lowest card, and lower than the highest card.

How to play Red Dog Online

To begin playing you will need to select how much you want to play for and then deal out the cards.  A card on the left and right will be dealt face up and there will be a empty space in the middle, where the third card will be placed.  At this point you will have the option to double your bet by raising or just call your bet.  No matter which one you choose, you will still be able to play out your hand.  If you think the middle card will be higher than the lowest card, but lower than the highest card, than you should raise your bet.  If you think that the middle card won't be in that range, than you should just call.
    There are a few things that can greatly increase the chances of you coming out ahead in this game.  You must remember that the pay out for a spread of four cards is the same as the pay out for a eleven card spread.  With that in mind there are a few rules you should abide by.  Avoid raising your bet when if the spread is less than five.  Raising your bet on six card spread should be avoided, but is not considered a must.  Also you should always raise your bet if the spread is seven or more.

Red Dog Spread Probabilities

We are going to assume that this is a six deck shoe.  If there is an eleven card spread between the two numbers then you would have a (44x6)/(52x6-2) = 85% chance of winning your hand.  A seven card spread would win (28x6)/(52x6-2) = 54% of the time.  Any spread bet that is seven or above will have a positive long term expected value.
    The negative value raises would be when you have a spread that is six or less.  A winning spread of six would happen around (24x6)/310 = 46.5% of the time, a winning spread of five would happen (20x6)/310 = 38.7% of the time and 31% of the time for a spread of four.  Each time the spread narrows you will reduce the chance of winning by (4x6)/310 = 7.74%.
    The worst time to raise your bet in Red Dog is when the spread is a 4, 1, 5, 3 and 2.  With a 31% chance of winning and a pay out of 1:1, a four card spread will pay you 31 cents for every dollar spent on a raise.  With a 7.74% chance of winning and a 5:1 pay out, raising on a one card spread will pay you out 38.7 cents for every dollar raised.  A spread of five will win 38.7% of the time and pays 1:1, which will pay you out 38.7 cents for every dollar spent raising your hand.  A spread of three will pay you (23% x 2 = 46%) 46 cents for every dollar spent to raise.  A winning spread of two will happen 15.5% of the time and pay out 4:1.  This ends up paying you (15.5% x 4 = 62%) 62 cents for every dollar spent to raise your hand.

Strategy

Red Dog is a game of chance, but using some strategy can greatly increase the chance of you coming out ahead.  To increase the probability of winning at Red Dog, you should only raise when the spread is at least seven, otherwise always stand pat.