Winning Casino War Strategy
Casino War is the simplest casino game you can play and by a long margin. Some believe Casino War is gambling in its truest form. That’s for you to decide. It is an ultra-simple game but even the simplest games require a strategy to reduce the house edge. More money stays in your pocket when the house edge is smaller. This article is designed to arm you with the knowledge to beat the house at Casino War.
Dozens of online casinos offer Casino War among their portfolio of games. It’s even available in a traditional bricks and mortar venue, although it’s not as popular as it once was.
Bet Technology, a small company based in Nevada, developed Casino War in the early 1990s. It filed for a patent in 1993 and the game launched at five Northern Nevada casinos in 1994. Shuffle Master acquired most of Bet Technology’s assets in 2004, including Casino War.
How To Play Casino War
We’ve already told you this game is easy to learn and play and you’re about to discover why. The game is played with six decks of traditional 52-cards. Aces are high so the hands rank from two to ace.
The dealer deals one card face up to each play and one to themselves. You win the hand if your card is higher than the dealer’s. You lose the hand and your wager when the dealer’s card is higher than yours. Told you it was simple!
Both the dealer and the player have a 46.3% chance of victory, which makes Casino War look like a zero sum game. What happens when the cards are tied is what gives the house its edge. The chances of a tie are 7.4%.
You have the opportunity to surrender or go to war each time the hand ends in a tie. Surrendering ends the hand there and then, although you lose your initial wager. Going to war entails placing another wager equal to your initial bet. The dealer burns three cards before dealing all active players another face up card. You win your original ante and the war bet (at even money) if your card is higher than the dealer’s. Both bets are lost of the dealer’s hand beats yours.
What’s The Best Strategy to Employ?
Casino War is a game of pure luck, but your actions and bets massively affect the house edge.
Never take the side bet of betting on a tie happening. While it is true this bet pays out 10-to-1, it increases the house edge to 18.65%. You should never play any games of any sort if the house edge is this high.
Surrendering is also really bad if you want to maximise your profits. Opting to surrender gives the house a 3.70% edge. Always go to war when the hand ends in a tie. Going to war has house edge of 2.88%. Losing a couple of Casino War hands in this manner is expensive in the short term but it’s the correct play in the long run.
You should also try keep track of how many aces have been dealt. This is because you can only win or tie when you receive an ace. There’s no need to start devising a card counting system, but be aware what cards are out. Your edge is at its highest when you have an ace in your hand.
Casino War won’t make you rich quickly, you need something with a jackpot to do that. This leads us to suggest keeping your wagers relatively small. Always bet within the constraints of your bankroll and don’t lose more than you can afford.
That last tip leads nicely to our final Casino War hint: know when to walk away. Lady Luck won’t be with you sometimes and the casino just seems to win, win and win again. Walk away and play something else like some pokies if the cards are going against you. You can always play Casino War at another time.
