Casino War is played with six decks of playing cards with cards being ranked in the same values as poker with the exception of Aces which are always high. The suit does not matter.
To start the game you will place your bet and you will then be dealt one card face upwards. The dealer will also draw a face up card and cards are then compared. If your card is of a higher value than the dealer’s card you will win even money but if your card value is lower you lose.
In the event of a tie two possible outcomes take place:
- surrender and forfeit half the wager amount
- Go to War
If you decide to “Go to War” you are required to raise your bet by an amount equal to your original bet. The dealer will then do the same but this is obviously just for show. The dealer then burns three cards and deals a single card each again. If your second card equals or beats the dealer’s card then you win even money on your raised bet only and the original bet will be treated as a push but if the dealer’s card beats yours you will lose both bets.
If your cards tie again some casinos will offer a 10 to 1 tie bet payout and other casinos offer a bonus equal to the original wager. Check the rules where you play in order to ascertain how the casino handles ties.
The house edge in the game comes in due to the fact that you win 1 unit and lose 2. This means that if you bet $10 you will have to double your bet to $20 to win only $10.