How to Play In-Between

Objective

Build your stack by betting big when the odds are with you and betting small, or not at all, when they are not. Every bet is made against the pot, not against the other players. The pot grows when people miss and shrinks when they hit, and the game is at its liveliest when the pot is fat.

Setup

Give everyone the same number of chips. Each player antes one chip, or an agreed amount, into the pot. Choose a dealer, who shuffles and keeps the deck. The deal passes to the left when the dealer’s deck runs low.

Agree on two things before the first card: the smallest bet allowed, and how aces count.

How to play

Starting at the dealer’s left, the dealer turns two cards face up in front of the player. These two cards are often called the posts. The player then bets any amount from the minimum up to the size of the pot, or passes.

The dealer turns a third card. If its rank falls strictly between the two posts, the player takes the amount of the bet from the pot. If it falls outside them, the player pays the bet into the pot. If it matches either post, the player pays double.

If the posts are next to each other in rank, like 6 and 7, no card can land between them, so the turn passes. Most tables also pass the turn when the posts are a pair. Whenever the pot is emptied, everyone antes again.

1. 1Ante into the pot
2. 2Get two cards face up
3. 3Bet up to the size of the pot, or pass
4. 4Turn the third card and settle with the pot

Scoring

There is no running score. You simply track your own chips. Play ends when the group agrees, or when the pot is cleared and nobody wants to ante again.

Most tables do not allow a bet of the whole pot until every player has had at least one turn. Without that rule, the first player with a wide spread can empty the pot before anyone else plays.

Variations

Pairs for higher or lower: when the posts are a pair, the player may bet on whether the third card will be higher or lower instead of passing.

Bigger penalty: some tables make hitting the post cost three times the bet instead of double. It makes narrow spreads even riskier.

Casino Red Dog uses the same between-the-cards idea with a fixed payout table. The Red Dog on our list is a different, older home game where you bet that your hand can beat the top card of the deck.

Tips from the table

Bet the spread, not your mood. The more ranks between your posts, the better your chances. Here is a rough guide from a fresh deck, counting only the third card:

Because hitting a post costs double, a spread of seven only breaks even. Save your big bets for eight or more ranks between the posts, bet the minimum or pass on anything narrower, and keep an eye on cards already dealt: if three 8s are gone, a 7 and 9 spread is close to hopeless.

Frequently asked