Red Dog is a simple game from the old West played with three cards. After receiving two cards, the player wins if the next card dealt is ranked between the first two cards. If all three cards are the same rank, the player wins 11 to 1. After placing the initial bet, the player receives two cards. If the two cards are different, the player must decide either to raise the bet (with an amount equal to the initial bet) or continue with the current bet before receiving the third card. The player wins if the third card falls numerically between the first two cards. Winning hands are paid based on the spread between the first two cards--how far apart the first two cards rank.

The player loses the total bet--including any raised bet--if the third card does not fall between the first two cards. When the first two cards have consecutive ranks (for example, 5 and 6), then the hand is a tie and all bets are returned to the player. When the first two cards have the same rank, the third card is automatically dealt. If the third card has the same as the first two, the player wins eleven times the initial bet. If the third card is different than the first two, the game is a push, and all bets are returned to the player