How to Play Casino War and Best Winning Strategies
The venerable game of War is perhaps one of the simplest and most basic card games that can be learned by anyone. We all learned how to play War when we initially learned how to play Go Fish when we were kids. Perhaps this will be your first and only time playing War in your entire lifetime.
There are a couple of adult versions of War that you may have played. There's Drinking War, which is, well, a drinking game with the same rules as War. That does sound like fun, but we are here today to play Casino War.
Casino War is not a typical game in brick-and-mortar casinos. The table game is available in some US casinos. But don't get the idea that you can just head to any casino and find many tables like you do with blackjack or roulette. If the property does have Casino War, there likely will only be one or two tables.
Casino War can often be found at online casino sites which provide a large selection of real money casino games in their portfolio. To be sure, Casino War is a fun game which is simple to learn and play for new and experienced players alike.
How To Play Casino War
Casino War is classic War the card game with a bit of enjoyment at the tables. Clearly, the largest and most apparent variation between the War you played when you were a kid and the casino game is that there is gambling involved.
Instead of a friendly one-on-one battle against a family member or friend, you are now in a one-on-one battle with the dealer for cash. The majority of Casino War tables start with table limits of $10 in the casino. Luxury casinos, like the ones in Las Vegas, can have a minimum of $25 to play Casino War.
High-limit Casino War is not something you will come across in high quantities around the country. However, if you are a high-roller looking to get crazy, online casinos will facilitate this. Tables with a $10 minimum bet will typically allow you to bet up to $500 a hand.
Let's talk about playing Casino War and the rules you will see in most online casinos:
1. Place Your Wager
The first thing to do when playing Casino War is to bet. In the game of Casino War, two bets can be laid. First, the base bet is the most widespread and common bet in the game of Casino War.
Second, it is possible to place a Tie bet at the Casino War table. Remember that the Tie bet is optional and need not be placed. There are no restrictions regarding placing both bets on the same hand. The odds are against the player on a Tie bet though.
2. Dealer and Players Receive One Card
The dealer will deal one card to each player at the table, including himself. Most standard Casino War games use six decks of playing cards. There may be any amount from one deck to 12 decks used by the casino.
The aim of the game is to win with a card value higher than the dealer's. If you have wagered on the Tie possibility, then you hope your card and the dealer's card have the same value.
The lowest card of the game in Casino War is the 2 while an Ace is employed to denote the highest card. If you are dealt a King while the dealer has a 10, you win and you get paid 1 to 1.
It's that simple. The goal of Casino War is to have a higher-valued card than the dealer. The Tie bet is just as simple to understand. In the event that it's tied between you and the dealer, then the Tie wins with a payout of 10 to 1 to the player.
3. Going To War
Also, you shall have the option of declaring war against the dealer in case of equal values of the cards. You can also surrender your hand and choose not to go to war.
If you opt to fold, the player loses half of his or her original bet. If you bet $10 and do not desire to go to war, the dealer takes $5 and you are left with $5. Going to war provides you with the possibility of a 2 to 1 or 3 to 1 payout in some casinos.
In going to war against the dealer, you'll be dealt a card and the dealer will receive a card for themselves. The game is won by the highest-valued card.
To go to war, you'll need to bet your initial wager again. You may also make an optional Tie wager. If you lose the war, all your wagers lose, including the initial bet.
The individual holding the most valuable card will be declared the winner of the war round. A win will earn a player a 2 to 1 payout. In the event of a tie, under some Casino War rules, a 3 to 1 payout is made regardless of whether they had a second Tie wager or not.
Casino War Strategy
Casino War is a completely random game. There isn't any strategy as in blackjack or poker.
But there are smart decisions you can make to be a smart casino war player. Examining the Casino War odds and house edge will inform you of what to do.
1. Never Bet On The Tie
First of all, we recommend never betting on a Tie. The house edge is too large to make a bet on the Tie. Similar to other casino side bets, the Tie is a bad bet.
The Tie bet paying 10 to 1 at Casino War has a humongous house edge of over 18%. Playing slots for real money is preferable to taking this bet at Casino War tables.
Betting on the Tie is the worst Casino War strategy one can possibly adopt. The casino is hoping you play stupid.
With the 10 to 1 odds on the felt, it is tempting but it is there to lead you to make the bet. But never bet on a Tie no matter how large the win would be.
Otherwise, you are intelligently turning a decent house edge casino game into a poor game to play.
2. Always Go To War Against The Dealer
One of the greatest things about playing Casino War is to duel it out head-to-head against the dealer. As you come up with your Casino War strategy, when do you go to war and when do you surrender half of your initial bet?
A little bit of basic casino mathematics dictates that you should decide to go to war. Not only does it make the game more thrilling and more enjoyable, but mathematically it's the right thing to do.
The house edge of the casino is 2.8% when you play a war. However, if you fold and forfeit half your bet when playing a six-deck game, the house edge goes up to 3.7%. Unleash and play and go to war!
3. Play Games That Pay a 3:1 On A War Tie
This simple rule impacts the house edge. Not everyone will pay 3:1 if there is a tie with the dealer on war. Those that do not are greedy and tipping the odds even more in their favor.
On a standard six-deck Casino War game, the house advantage in taking the 3:1 bonus payoff is 2.33%. The house advantage sneaks up to 2.88% if there is no 3:1 bonus payoff on a tie of war.
It is easy to play the bonus-payout version of the game. It is not always available, but if it is an option to play Casino War with the bonus, play it over the other tables.
4. Target Casino War Games With Fewer Decks
As with the best online blackjack tables, the fewer cards in the shoe, the better the odds for the player in Casino War. Casinos won't advertise how many decks they're using in their Casino War games.
It is your duty to ask the dealer or pit boss. For online casino, you can call customer support. Some of the casinos might have just a single Casino War table or virtual game, so multiple accounts at the best online casinos are required.
For a one-deck Casino War, the house advantage is 2.06% if they do have the 3:1 payoff on war when the tie is against the dealer. Compared to the six-deck version with a house advantage of 2.33%, your odds are decidedly better with only one deck in the deck.