Today we thought we’d take a look at one of the least well known casino games you can find online. Most people have an inkling of how to play roulette and blackjack- but can you play Casino War?
This is a game that is loosely based on the children’s game of War. The game is probably the easiest card game around to understand. The same is true of its casino cousin.
Casino War is typically played with six full decks of playing cards. The game uses a standard poker ranking for the hands- with the exception that aces are always high.
The game kicks off with 1 card dealt to a dealer and 1 to a player. If the player’s card beats the dealer (ie has a score higher than the dealer), he or she wins. If the dealer and the player have cards of the same value, the game is tied. In this sceanrio, there are 2 possible outcomes:
1. You can surrender, in which case you lose half the bet.
2. You can go to war, – you must lay down a bet equal to your first bet to continue.
In scenario 2 (going to war), 3 cards are burned (discarded) from the deck and an additional card is drawn. If you card has a value that is greater or equal to the dealer’s, you win an amount equal to the amount of your 1st bet. If the dealer wins this second round, you lose both the 1st bet and the “going to war” follow up.
The odds for both dealer and the player winning are 46.3% on the 1st card. It is what happens after a tie that gives the house its edge.
Look out for casinos that give a bonus payout when there is a tie- the house edge in this variant of Casino War is lower which makes for happy punters.
Also watch out for the number of decks that the casino plays with. Play with more than six and the house edge goes up. Steer clear of casinos that play with too many decks or you may end up looking like a doe eyed labrador at vaccination time.
If you surrender, you are also increasing the house edge, so players should always “go to war”.
