How to Play Casino War

Casino War is one of the easiest and most popular card games available, with all kinds of players enjoying the fun it has to offer. It can also be a great way to get newcomers involved in table games, as it is very similar to the card game War played by millions worldwide.

The game is generally played with six decks in land-based casinos, with online Casino War games benefitting from an automated shuffling program to create a random deck. Cards in Casino War are ranked as in poker, with two having the lowest value and the ace having the highest value. A player makes an ante bet before starting the game.

After the bet, two random cards are dealt face-up - one to the player and one to the dealer. If the player’s card is of a higher value than that of the dealer, they win and are paid even money. However, if the dealer’s card is of a higher value, the player loses. The player may then make another bet and start the process again.

If both the dealer and the player have a card of the same rank, the player can either surrender and lose half their bet or “go to war”, doubling their stake in another attempt to beat the dealer. If the player chooses the latter option, the dealer discards or “burns” three cards from the deck and then deals themselves and the player another card. Should the player outrank the dealer, the player wins back their original wager. If the cards are equally ranked, the player wins the increased wager they made when “going to war”. If the dealer’s card outranks the player, the player loses their stake.

Etiquette

The rules of Casino War are rather straightforward and general casino etiquette applies when playing the game. Don’t be abusive or rude to the staff or players around you, remember to tip your dealer and don’t touch your cards unless given permission to do so.

Strategy

Many venues offering Casino War will give players the chance to try out a side bet where they can wager on whether or not the two dealt cards will be of the same value. While this can offer a great 10:1 payout if you’re correct, the house edge is estimated at 18.5 percent, which could be too risky for some players.

In general, players should avoid folding or “surrendering” when faced with a tie in Casino War. It can be tempting to recoup half your bet and move on with the game, but this raises the house edge and puts the player at a disadvantage.

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