Do you remember when you were younger and you used to play “War” with your friends when you were extremely bored. The day would be raining, and there was nothing else to do. All your video games had been beaten, you didn’t have a car to rent a newer video game, and your computer didn’t have the graphic capabilities that were equivalent to the “systems” like Playstation and Nintendo GameCube. The casinos, both land-based and online have taken this very simplistic game, and have created some minor changes, and have created it into a full feature betting game at the casinos.

Now, you may be wondering why a casino, either land-based or online would want to use such a simplistic game at their establishment? This is a very strong and effective marketing strategy used by the casino promotions team. Statistics show that the people who have played a familiar game in the past are more likely to play on the casino war game at the casinos.

House Advantage
Go to war on ties: 2.88%
Surrender on ties: 3.7%
Bet on ties: 18.65%

People who play at the casino have common sense. If there is a game available, and they have no idea, or knowledge on how to play it, there is a very slight chance the player will wager any money on that game. Now, if the player is familiar with the game, the total opposite could happen, as they remember the game being extremely simple, and it was hard to lose. The player must remember that the house always has the best odds, and the player must play this game responsibly, as it could empty your wallet, and max out your Visa cards extremely quickly. This game is also quite popular among the “Baby Boomer” generation, as the game can reflect their past, and they are able to reflect back on their childhood when playing the game.

When you were younger, and you remember playing “War” with your friends, there were certain rules that will be discussed on the “original” version of the game. The original version of the game was played using one deck of 52 cards, which were shuffled in no specific manner, and each player was given 26 cards. In many games, the cards in the deck are “rated” by suit (Spade, Heart, Diamond, Club), and the higher the number, the more powerful the card is, in establishing your hand. In the original version of casino war, the Ace is played as only a “low” card, and the King is the “highest” card, and the suits have no meaning in this game. Each player will continue by flipping a card over, and whichever card is higher, that person will win that hand. They will be able to collect the cards that were flipped and add them to their pile of cards. The object of the game was to “take over” the entire deck, and be declared the undisputed champion. If the two players put down two cards that had an equal number value, they would “Go To War”. The way I played this game was we flipped 3 cards off the deck and kept them face down, and were placed in a separate pile. After this process was complete, the 4th card would be flipped over, and the higher card would win would take all 10 cards. In the event of another tie, the same process will occur until a winner of the hand is declared. Once one of the players has all 52 cards in their hand, they are declared the winner. This game used to take hours on end to complete, and many times there was no winner, as our attention span would take us somewhere else, to another activity.

Casino war is one of the simplest games that is available to play at a casino, both land-based and online. It is by all means, 100% luck, and there is no skill required. As a player, when you are playing casino war, you just better hope “Lady Luck” is watching over you on that specific day. Casino war is a game where there is not much room for “middle ground”, when placing bets. The minimum bet at most casinos, land-based and online is between $5-$1000 per hand. Let me explain how the game works!

Casino war is supposed to be played with 6 decks of cards, and is played on a standard Blackjack table. Before the game begins, the cards must be shuffled, and the player or dealer must not be allowed to see any of the cards during this process. When playing casino war, the cards are ranked the same way as in Poker, but Aces are always counted as a “high” card, and never a “low” card. Also, when playing this game, the “suit” of the card(s) does not matter. Only the numbers are used to play casino war.

Before cards are dealt (which come from a shoe), the player(s) at the table are required to place a bet between $5 and $1000. Remember, this is only an initial bet and may increase as the game/hand progresses. The dealer and each player will receive one card face-up. The cards are taken from the top of the shuffled deck, and placed to each player and dealer face-up. The dealer will deal the cards from their left to right, dealing themselves last. Since, in most cases of casino war, there is only one betting “round”, the card that is revealed, and has the highest number will win the wager bet at the beginning of the hand. Each player is playing against the dealer (house), and there is no competition between each player at the table. It is exactly the same as playing Blackjack at a casino, either online or land-based. If the player’s card is higher than the dealers, the player will win the amount wagered, and the match that the house made. Its Simple…. right?

But, the casinos have created a “twist” to make the game more exciting and interesting. If the players and the house cards come up in a tie, meaning they are the same, the player had two option on how to proceed. The first option is for the player to surrender, and forfeit the hand, meaning they lose their initial bet, and the player is eliminated from that “round”, or hand. In the event of a tie, this is where the player must test their luck, and be able to win bigger amounts of money. The second option the player may pursue, is “Going To War”. If the player decides to “Go To War”, he/she must raise their bet to an amount equal or greater than the initial bet. The dealer will match the bet, but this has no meaning in the game, and is for show only. The dealer will then proceed by “burning” three cards. The process called “burning”, means the dealer takes three cards from the top of the shuffled deck, and places it in a separate pile, aside from the original deck of 6 packs of cards. Once the dealer has “burned” the three cards, he/she will deal the player and house another card. Again, it simple! …. right?

If the players second card equals or beats the dealer, the player will win even money on the raise, and the original wager will “push”. The tern “push” is a casino term meaning the dealer and a player tie, and no one is declared the winner. Now, the dangerous part about this game is if the dealer wins the second “round” of cards dealt, the player will lose their original bet, along with their second bet, to play the tie out.

This type of game, depending on your wager can empty or fill your wallet. When playing only casino war at the casino, you will either be a big winner, or a bigger loser. Casino war is becoming more popular among casinos around the world, and are showing up more and more on online casinos. The game is simple, but the “twist” that the casino makes, will usually have the house win a majority of the money. By all means, casino war is a game of chance, and you must make sure to know your limits, and do not go “overboard” on your betting. These types of table games can be deadly for “high rollers”, as, for example, in the event of a “Tie”, you are basically having to at least “Double Up” on your bet. But, as any casino player will say, you have to spend money to make money. This statement is 100% true for most Table Games. There could be exception to such games of chance like slots, when a much smaller bet could win you a large amount of money.

Overall, I enjoy playing the game of casino war, although I had not had much luck with my experience. The online casinos that offer casino war, there is some controversy over whether the 6 decks are shuffled after every hand. The answer: Only the operators of the online casinos, and software providers know this answer, and by no means are they going to disclose the information. Remember, when playing on an online casino, you should play somewhere that you trust, and have had a good experience with. There are many communication methods for online gamblers to post their opinions about online gambling sites. Try typing “Gambling Forums” as a search query on a major search engine, such as Google, and you can voice your opinion. You can also find the online casinos with a reputable name, as well as find out about new casino software, and the latest news in the online gambling industry. Lastly, in my opinion, it is a good idea to sign-up for newsletter and e-zines, so you can keep up-to-date about the different online gambling sites, and most importantly, be knowledgeable about your online casino gambling.

Want to know more about Casino War?  Head to CasinoCashJourney.com.