Casino War Rules and Top Tips

By Petko Stoyanov Published: Jul 15, 2022, Updated: Jan 05, 2024

Casino War – It’s a unique table game that’s easy to learn and utilizes a 52-card deck. It also doesn’t require any skill to play, and the goal of the game is to bet on which player will draw the highest card. If you played the standard card game war as a kid, you know how it works.

In this article, I’ll explain how to play Casino War, which includes information on the rules and house edge. Also, I want to provide you with a few tips on how to improve your strategy. Here’s what you need to know.

Casino War Gameplay

The gameplay and rules of Casino War are super simple. The object of the game is to bet on which card contains the highest value. In other words, everything is randomized, and you can’t gain an edge on the house.

The game begins with each player and the dealer being dealt a card face down. The highest card ultimately wins, but when there’s a tie, the player can decide to “go to war”, which gives them and the dealer an additional card to compare.

The three components of the game are the initial bet, the deal, and the war. All you need to learn are these basic mechanics of the game (and hope that luck is on your side).

Futher Info:

During the initial bet, you also get to choose the amount of money you want to wager. After the cards are dealt, you’ll guess which one is the highest. Aces hold the highest value, and suits are of no importance.

If you choose war when a tie occurs, the dealer will initiate another round of cards. Keep in mind that if you decide not to go to war, you’ll lose half of your original wager.

Types of Bets and Bonuses

Learning how to play Casino War also requires you to know the side bets and bonuses. Keep in mind that only a few variations of the game exist. Furthermore, the simplicity of Casino War minimizes the different types of bets you can actually make.

A few Las Vegas casinos supposedly offer players a bonus when they tie with the dealer twice. However, the second tie must occur immediately after the initial tie in which you decide to go to war. You’ll receive a bonus equal to your initial wager.

Gamesys, which is a software developer, has a version of Casino War with a rule where the player wins 3x the ante bet with consecutive ties. This also helps reduce the house edge. Since I’ve mentioned it, let’s see how that works for Casino War.

Casino War House Edge

House edge is the statistical advantage that the dealer has over you, and it’s how the casinos are able to turn a profit. In Casino War, the house edge varies depending on if you choose to go to war or not.

Going to war offers you the extra possibility of winning money. However, there’s also the risk of losing more money in the process.

Despite that, you should always go to war if you want the optimal house edge. Surrendering results in losing half of your stake, which makes a massive difference in the long run.

Tip:

The house edge for Casino War is roughly 2.8% while surrendering a tie increases it to 3.7%. Ultimately, Casino War doesn’t offer you the best odds of winning, especially when you compare it to skilled-based games such as blackjack (0.5-1% house edge).

Still, the lack of strategy means you can’t decrease your chances by making mistakes which is common in other casino card games.

The Best Online Casinos for Casino War

Now that you know how to play Casino War, I recommend that you check out our list of legit online casinos. Many of them offer the game, and you can enjoy all sorts of bonuses and promotions.

These websites also allow you to play games such as blackjack, baccarat, and craps. You also have multiple banking methods to choose from.