Casino War is quite possibly the simplest casino game you can learn. If you ever played war as a child, you already know how to play, with a couple of very slight differences.
After all players place their bet, each player is dealt a single card in a clockwise motion (similar to Blackjack), followed by the dealer last.
If the player’s card is higher than the dealer’s card, the player wins. If the dealer’s card is higher than the player’s card, the dealer wins. If the cards are the same, the player goes to “war”.
War – Ties and Surrender
When the player’s and dealer’s card are the same, a player must choose to go to war or surrender. If a player chooses to surrender, half of their original bet will be returned and the hand is over.
If a player decides to go to war, a second bet is placed equal to the original bet. Three cards are then burned followed by a card dealt to the player and then to the dealer. If the player’s card is equal or greater than the dealer’s card, the player wins an amount equal to the original bet. The player is not paid off on both bets.
If the player’s card is less than the dealer’s card, the player loses both the original bet and the war bet.
How to Bet Playing Casino War
There is only one betting option in Casino War. Similar to Blackjack, the player places a wager on themselves in hopes of winning the hand. If a player wins, they win even money on their bet. For example, if $100 is wagered and the player wins, $100 will be received back plus the original $100 bet.
Some Casino War games offer a tie bet. If the player’s and dealer’s first card is the same (regardless of suit), the player wins the tie bet. Tie bets pay 10-1. For example, if you bet $100 on the tie bet, you will receive $1,000 plus your original tie bet back.
Top Casino War Casinos
 |
William Hill Casino – 1st Deposit | Min. Deposit £ 35 Bonus – Wagering requirement: min. 20x bonus |
View Bonus |
 |
Sky Vegas – 1st Deposit | Min. Deposit £ 5 Bonus – Wagering requirement: min. 25x bonus |
View Bonus |
 |
Ladbrokes Casino – 1st Deposit | Min. Deposit € 5 Bonus – Wagering requirement: min. 30x bonus |
View Bonus |
Casino War Sample Hands
Winning Hand
Player K♠
Dealer 4♣
Losing Hand
Player K♠
Dealer A♣
Winning Tie (War) Hands
Player K♠ – Draw 8♠
Dealer K♣ – Draw 4♦
Player K♠ – Draw 8♠
Dealer K♣ – Draw 8♦
Losing Tie (War) Hand
Player K♠ – Draw 8♠
Dealer K♣ – Draw J♦
Casino War Odds
Following is a listing of the house edge for various sized decks in a shoe, including surrender and tie bet percentages.
| Casino War House Edge | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Decks | Initial Bet | Surrender | Tie Bets |
| 1 | 2.42% | 2.94% | 35.29% |
| 2 | 2.70% | 3.40% | 25.24% |
| 3 | 2.79% | 3.55% | 21.94% |
| 4 | 2.84% | 3.62% | 20.29% |
| 5 | 2.86% | 3.67% | 19.31% |
| 6 | 2.88% | 3.70% | 18.65% |
| 7 | 2.89% | 3.72% | 18.18% |
| 8 | 2.90% | 3.73% | 17.83% |
Casino War History
Although war has been around for ages, it has only recently hit the casino floor under the Casino War name, which was patented by Shuffle Master, a casino gaming supply company.
Casino War in Pop Culture
Casino War was highlighted in the 1997 movie Vegas Vacation. Clark Griswold (played by Chevy Chase) stepped into an “off the strip” casino with Cousin Eddie (played by Randy Quaid) and played war. Oddly enough it wasn’t until a decade later when this game was first seen in an actual casino.
