In Between Card Game Rules: How to Play, Odds per Spread and Table Etiquette

By GTAYA Editorial Team · Reviewed for accuracy against the sources linked in this article. Last updated 2026-11-04.

In Between is one of the simplest card games you will see at a Filipino family party: two cards are turned up, and you decide how much of the pot you want to risk that the next card lands between them. The rules fit on an index card, but the game rewards anyone who can quickly count how many cards actually win. This guide gives you the full rules, the common house-rule variations, an exact probability table for every spread, and the etiquette that keeps the game friendly.

What is In Between?

In Between is a pot game for any number of players, usually three to eight, using one standard 52-card deck without jokers. Internationally it is also known as Acey Deucey or Red Dog, although “Red Dog” in casinos is a different banked game. There is no dealer advantage built into the rules: every chip you win comes from the pot that the players themselves fund, and every chip you lose goes back into it.

Cards rank from 2 (low) to King (high). The Ace is usually low or high at the player’s choice when it is the first card, which we explain below. Suits do not matter.

How do setup and the ante work?

1. Agree the house rules (ace, pairs, posts, maximum bet). Write them down if new players are joining.
2. Everyone antes the same small amount, for example one chip each, to build the starting pot.
3. Choose a dealer. A common method is to deal one card to each player; highest card deals first. The deal then rotates clockwise after each full round.
4. Shuffle and cut. The player to the dealer’s right cuts.

How does a turn work, step by step?

1. The dealer turns two cards face up in front of the active player, leaving a gap between them.
2. The player looks at the spread and either passes or bets any amount from the table minimum up to the current pot.
3. The dealer turns the third card into the gap.
4. The bet is settled (see the next section) and play moves to the next player on the left.
5. If a player wins the entire pot, everyone antes again to rebuild it.

How are bets settled?

The double-loss on a post is what makes “betting the pot” dangerous. If you bet a 100-chip pot and hit the post, you owe 200, and the pot grows to 300.

Consecutive cards and pairs

If your two cards are consecutive, such as 7 and 8, no card can fall between them. Most tables let you pass without paying anything; a few treat it as an automatic small loss. If your two cards are a pair, groups differ: one common rule lets you call “higher” or “lower” for the third card, with a matching third card costing triple; another simply pays the player a small fixed amount. Announce which rule applies before you start.

Ace rules

If the first card is an Ace, the player declares it high or low before the second card is turned. An Ace declared low with a King as the second card gives the widest spread in the game: every 2 through Queen wins. A second-card Ace is usually treated as high, but again, agree on it first.

What are the exact odds for every spread?

Once your two cards are showing, 50 cards remain unseen. Each winning rank has four cards left, and each of your two post ranks has three cards left. That gives a simple formula: win chance = winning ranks × 4 ÷ 50 and post chance = 6 ÷ 50 = 12% whenever your two cards are different ranks. The table below covers every spread. We call the spread the number of ranks strictly between your cards.

These numbers ignore cards already used earlier in the deck. If you remember that, say, three 9s have already been played, your true chance on a spread that includes 9 is a little lower. That is the only real “skill” edge in the game: paying attention.

What the table means for your bet size

Because a post costs double, a bet only has a positive average result if your win chance is higher than the outside chance plus twice the post chance. With a 12% post chance, you need a win chance above 56% to come out ahead on average. In plain terms:

• Spreads of 0 to 6 ranks: on average you lose. Bet the minimum or pass if your table allows it.
• Spread of 7 ranks: roughly break-even under the double-post rule.
• Spreads of 8 ranks or more: the average result favours you, but variance is still large. A 72% chance still fails more than one time in four.

Average results only show up over many hands. In one evening, anything can happen, which is why betting the whole pot on a “sure” spread is the most common way players lose their stack.

Three worked examples

Example 1. You get 3 and Q, and the pot holds 40 chips. Eight ranks win (64%). You bet 10. The third card is 8: you take 10 from the pot.

Example 2. You get 6 and 10, a three-rank spread (24%). You bet the 1-chip minimum. The third card is 10, a post: you pay 2. A small bet kept the damage small.

Example 3. Your first card is an Ace. You declare it low, then a King arrives: eleven ranks win and nothing can land outside. You bet 20 of a 50-chip pot. The third card is an Ace, a post: you pay 40. Even the best spread has a 12% post risk.

Which house-rule variations are common?

Table etiquette

• Announce your bet out loud before the third card is turned. No changes after.
• Keep the pot in the centre and pay posts immediately.
• Let the dealer handle the deck. Do not touch cards in the gap.
• Play for chips or snacks among family and friends. Wagering money outside licensed venues can fall under the Philippine anti-illegal-gambling law (PD 1602, as amended).

Related guides

If you enjoy probability-based card games, read our guides to Lucky 9 and Tongits for three players, and our explainer on casino bet types and house edge.

More on gtaya.life: Card Games guides · Promotions Hall · Safe Play

Written and reviewed by the GTAYA Editorial Team

Our guides are researched from official sources (PAGCOR, BSP, Philippine law) and reviewed before publishing. Rules that vary by table are flagged.

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