Complete Guide to Playing Casino War
Casino War is a simple game where the highest card wins the round. Like the version you played as a kid, a tie means you must battle to see who is victorious. After burning three cards for each player, a final high draw decides who wins the pot.
This Casino War guide will teach you everything you need to know about the game. You’ll learn the rules, how to bet, some simple strategies, the odds, and the best online casinos where you can play for real money.
Casino War Game Guide
Everything You Need to Play the Game
Casino War Rules
War is perhaps the most straightforward of all card games. In casual play, each of the two players starts with half the deck and collects cards as they win.
At the casino, all cards come from the shoe, and you wager in hopes of beating the house.
Betting Options
The two bets in Casino War are the primary ante and the tie side bet. You must ante up to play the game, but the tie wager has a high house edge and generally gets avoided.
Ante Bet
You need to make this bet to play the game and see the cards.
Tie Bet
Make this additional bet if you think the first two cards will be the same strength.
Playing a Round
After you bet, the dealer gives one face-up card to the player and then one to himself. The objective of the game is to have the highest card.
The lowest card in the game is a two, aces are the strongest, and card suits are irrelevant to their power.
A Tie Triggers The Decision to Go to War
In the event of a tie, a few things happen. First, if you’ve placed the optional tie-bet, you’ll receive an instant payout of 10 to 1 on your money. Next, you’ll encounter your only decision of the game.
Do you want to double your ante and go to battle or surrender and lose your bet? If you go to war, the dealer burns three cards for you and three for the house before a fourth card, turned face up, decides the match’s outcome.
Finally, some tables have a bonus 1:1 payout if a tie happens after a tie.
Casino War Table Layout
A Casino War table will look familiar if you’ve ever played other table games. It’s you versus the dealer, with a shoe holding several decks of cards in the corner.
There is an area to put your ante and tie bets and a place for the cards. Online players will also see an assortment of colored chips in various denominations on the screen.
How to Play Casino War
Casino War is an easy game with few cards and player decisions. Follow this step-by-step guide to play like a pro at the table.
Place Your Ante Bet
Choose the amount you’d like to wager and move it to the “ante” area. Online players just click on the chip and move it to the corresponding location on the screen.Place Side Bets (Optional)
Before the round begins, you can place an additional wager in the “tie” area if you think the match’s outcome will be a tie. This bet has a higher house edge but pays 10 to 1 in the event of a war.Play Through the Round
After all bets are on the table, the dealer carries out the round by distributing cards and asking for players’ decisions based on the rules of the game.Winning & Losing
The dealer pays out the winners and collects all losing bets for the house. In online gameplay, this process happens automatically.Playing Another Round
Clear your chips and place your new wagers for the next round. If you’re playing online, you can easily re-bet the same amounts by clicking the play button.
Play Casino War Online Free
Test your new knowledge and the guides above with this free casino war game before playing for real money.
Casino War Strategy
You can play Casino War in Vegas or online, and the strategy is typically the same. Especially since the game is pure luck, there are only a couple of general rules to follow to increase your chances of winning.
Always Go to War on a Tie
The primary Casino War strategy is never to surrender. You have the best payouts and odds by always doubling your ante and going to war in the event of a tie.
Avoid the Sucker Bet
We suggest you always avoid the tie, side bet. The 10:1 payout is attractive, but this optional wager balloons your usual 3% house edge to around 25% on average.
Casino War Odds
The table below shows the house edge percentage for different sets of variables. The odds for Casino War depend on the presence of a tie after tie ante bet bonus and whether you place the tie bet or surrender.
Note that the number of decks significantly affects Casino War odds. While most online casinos seem to use a six-deck shoe, a single-deck game in a land-based casino will always provide the best chances to win.
| DECKS | WITH TIE BONUS | NO TIE BONUS | SURRENDER | TIE BET |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2.06% | 2.42% | 2.94% | 35.29% |
| 2 | 2.24% | 2.70% | 3.40% | 25.24% |
| 3 | 2.29% | 2.79% | 3.55% | 21.94% |
| 4 | 2.31% | 2.84% | 3.62% | 20.29% |
| 5 | 2.32% | 2.86% | 3.67% | 19.31% |
| 6 | 2.33% | 2.88% | 3.70% | 18.65% |
| 7 | 2.34% | 2.89% | 3.72% | 18.18% |
| 8 | 2.34% | 2.90% | 3.73% | 17.83% |
Surrender Less & Win More
As you can see from the table above, when you choose to surrender, you boost the house edge by almost a whole percentage point.
Make sure you always go to war in the event of a tie to ensure the best odds and payouts!
Where to Play Casino War Online for Money
Sign up at any of these real money casinos to play War online. They have banking methods you can rely on, valuable bonus offers, and hundreds of exciting games.
After you sign up and log in, you’ll find Casino War in the table games section.
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Popular Variations of the Game
Casino War is available at many gambling sites. It’s a trendy game because of its simplicity and fast gameplay. These are a few of the versions you’ll find at the casinos above.
Use Our Casino War Guide to Play Online Today!
If you appreciate simple games with few decisions and little to no strategy, then Casino War is a fantastic choice. Place your bets and sit back while luck decides who has the highest card. Will you be victorious over the house?
Sign up at one of our suggested gambling sites to play Casino War online right now.
Casino War FAQ
Below are some of the most common questions we get about Casino War.
How do you play Casino War?
The rules of Casino War are quite simple. In short, you place your bets in hopes of winning a high card draw. In the event of a tie, you can choose to wager more and play an additional high card draw or fold.
What are the odds of Casino War?
The odds for Casino War vary depending on a few variables. The basic ante bet has a house edge between 2-3%, and surrendering your option to battle in war boosts that a bit. The side bet has a much higher house edge that is around 25% on average.
Is there a strategy for Casino War?
The best Casino War strategy is never to surrender. This method keeps the house edge low and offers you the best payouts.
Can you play Casino War online for real money?
Yes, you can play Casino War online for real money. Visit one of our recommended casinos, sign up for an account, and deposit funds to start enjoying hundreds of games today!
