How to Play Casino War?

Looking for the simplest game casinos have to offer? Look no further than Casino War. The game is played usually played with six standard decks. All cards are ranked according to their poker value, Aces are highest, then Kings, Queens, Jacks, Tens, Nines, and so on. Suit does not matter.

Basic Rules

The player first places a bet and then Casino War play begins with the player and dealer each being dealt one card face-up. If the player’s card is ranked higher than the dealer’s card, then the player wins even money. If the dealer’s card is ranked higher than the player’s card, then the player loses.

If both cards are of equal value then the player has two options. They may either surrender and lose half of their bet or elect to go to “War” against the dealer. If the player elects to go to war, then a raise bet must be made equal to the value of the initial bet. The dealer then burns, face down the next three cards and deals the following card to the player face-up. The dealer burns another three cards, face down and deals a second card to the dealer hand.

If the player’s second card ranks higher or equal to the dealer’s second card, then the player wins even money on the raise bet and the initial bet is a push. If the dealer’s second card ranks higher than the player’s second card, the player loses both bets. In some casinos, a tie during a war will result in a bonus to the player equal to the original wager.

In addition to the wager on which card will be higher, some casinos also offer a “Tie” wager. This is a wager that the rank of the player’s first card and dealer’s first card will be equal. The tie wager pays at odds of 10 to 1.

For standard Casino War with six decks the house edge is 2.88%. If the special tie on a war bonus is offered than the house edge drops a bit to 2.33%. The house edge for the initial tie bet is a whopping 18.65%. It’s best to avoid the tie bet.