Casino War

Rules and help

How to play casino war

The casino war game deals one card to you and one to the dealer. The higher rank wins. Aces are high, then kings, queens, jacks, and tens down to twos. Suits do not matter. You choose a move only when the ranks tie.

The hand and the tie bet

Tap a chip onto Hand, then press Deal. Tie is a side bet. It takes a chip only after the hand already has one.

• Hand pays 1 to 1 when your card is higher. A 100 credit bet returns 200. The dealer’s higher card takes the bet.
• Tie is the side bet. It pays 10 to 1, and only when the first two cards share a rank. A 100 credit tie bet returns 1,100. It is paid as soon as those cards tie, before you choose war or surrender. It loses when the ranks differ.

War or surrender

• Surrender returns half the hand. A 100 credit hand returns 50. Bets are multiples of 10, so the half is exact.
• Go to war stakes that same amount again. Three cards are burned face down, then each side gets one more card. If you cannot cover the extra stake, surrender is the choice left.

A higher war card, or a second tie, pays the original hand 1 to 1 and returns the war stake. A 100 credit hand comes back as 300. The dealer’s higher war card takes both bets. There is no further war.

Chips and the shoe

Chips are 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 play credits. The most on the hand is 5,000. The most on Tie is 1,000. Undo lifts the last chip. Clear takes the bets back. Rebet repeats the hand and the tie, not a war stake. Double matches what is down, when the limits and your balance allow it.

Six decks, 312 cards, are shuffled together. A cut card sits between halfway and three quarters of the way through. A hand that would start after the cut comes from a fresh shoe. A hand already dealt, including a war, finishes on the shoe it started on.

Casino war odds

On a fresh six-deck shoe the first two cards tie 23 times in 311. Always surrendering keeps about 3.7% of the hand for the house. Always going to war keeps about 2.9%. The tie bet’s 10 to 1 price is short of that chance, so the house keeps about 18.6% of the tie stake. Later hands shift a little as cards leave the shoe. These are play-credit figures. There is no cash to win.

Tips

• Going to war gives up less than surrender on a fresh shoe, about 2.9% of the hand instead of about 3.7%. A lost war costs both stakes.
• The tie bet is the expensive spot. Ten to one is well short of how rarely the first cards match.
• The war stake equals the whole hand. If your balance cannot cover it, the table leaves you the surrender.
• Rebet restores the hand and the tie only. It does not repeat a war stake.

Playing on a phone or tablet

Choose a chip and tap Hand. The smaller Tie spot is a side bet, and it takes a chip only after the hand does. On a tie, Go to war and Surrender replace the betting buttons in the same row. The cards, the burn slots, and the bets keep their places.

Frequently asked questions

Is this real-money casino war?

No. Wagers use play credits (Ʉ) stored on this device. You cannot deposit, win cash, or withdraw.

How do you play casino war?

Bet the hand, and the tie if you want it, then deal. You and the dealer each get one card. The higher rank wins even money. Aces are high and suits do not count. A tie is the war or surrender choice.

What are the casino war odds?

On a fresh six-deck shoe the house keeps about 2.9% of the hand if you always go to war, and about 3.7% if you always surrender. The first cards tie 23 times in 311. The tie bet pays 10 to 1, and the house keeps about 18.6% of that stake. This is play-credit practice, not a cash game.

What is the war or surrender option?

It comes up only when the first two ranks match. Surrender returns half the hand. Go to war stakes the same amount again: three cards are burned, then one card each is dealt. Your war card winning, or a second tie, pays the original hand even money and returns the war stake. The dealer’s higher war card takes both bets.

What does the tie bet pay?

10 to 1, and only on the first two cards. A 100 credit tie bet returns 1,100. It is settled as soon as those cards tie, whether you then go to war or surrender. It loses when the ranks differ. The most on Tie is 1,000 play credits.

What if the war cards tie?

A second tie pays the same as winning the war. The original hand pays 1 to 1 and the war stake is returned. There is no further war.