How to Win Casino War with Perfect Gameplay

The Basics: Casino War Rules & Variations

There’s nothing difficult about Casino War. Chances are you already grew up playing the game under its base name, War. Back then, you were just competing to win cards. In this version, you have the option to play for cold hard cash.

The rules are simple. The player makes an Ante bet. The player and dealer each receive one card. High card wins. Card ranks are standard, with 2 being lowest and Ace being highest. If the…

• Player Wins: Player receives 1 to 1 payout on Ante, ending the hand.
• Dealer Wins: Player loses the bet and the hand is over.

Where the game gets interesting is when the player’s and dealer’s cards tie. At this point, the player is asked to make their first decision (beyond how much they’d like to bet). The player must choose between the following actions:

• Go to War: Place an additional Play bet, equal to the Ante, to move on.
  Surrender: Give up, forfeiting half of the original Ante bet to end the hand.

When a hand goes to War, the dealer will first burn three cards off the top of the deck. Then the player and dealer each receive a second card. Again, high card wins. This time, however, the stakes are riskier. If the…

• Player Wins: Player receives 1 to 1 payout on Ante bet; Play bet is returned.
• Dealer Wins: Player loses both Ante and Play bet.

Rule Variations

All of the above rules are static for every game of Casino War. What differs at some land-based and online gambling halls is what happens if two consecutive ties occur.

If, after declaring war on a tie, the second set of cards dealt also tie, one of the following rules will apply:

• Tight Rules: The player automatically wins hand with standard payout.
• Standard Rules: The player automatically wins with 2x bonus payout.
• Generous Rules: The player automatically wins with 4x bonus payout.

Which brings us to…

Winning Casino War: Standard & Bonus Pay Tables

Based on the possible rule variations above, there are three different pay tables you could come across playing Casino War. Different payouts equate to variable return percentages. For cross reference,I’ve provided the house edge, as well as the theoretical return to player (RTP), for each table below.

Pay Table 1 – 6 Decks w/ Tight Rules

Pay Table 2 – 6 Decks w/ Standard Rules

Pay Table 3 – 6 Decks w/ Generous Rules

This exceptional 4x bonus payout game is only known to exist at online casinos powered by Gamesys casino software. It is only offered as a 6-deck variant.

Casino War House Edge By Decks

This last table reflects the change in house edge and RTP with Tight Rules or Standard Rules in play, according to the number of decks used.

Tie Bet Payout & House Edge by Decks

With a standard payout of 10 to 1, betting on a Tie is (as usual) a raw deal. The house edge is always higher on tie bets, no matter the number of decks or rules in use. This table shows the house edge on a tie bet in Casino War by the number of decks in play. Once again, I’ve provided the theoretical RTP for cross reference.

How to Win Casino War with Perfect Game Play

The strategy for Casino War is incredibly simple. In order to play a perfect game and achieve optimal RTP, all you have to do is play every single hand through, never surrendering when war is proposed.

The following table compares the house edge in War vs. Surrender in Tight, Standard and Generous Rules games.

As you can see, the mathematical probabilities state that the house edge is always higher when surrendering than it is when you place the extra bet to go to war. Thus the simple answer to perfect game play is to never surrender! But that’s only half of the equation.

It is equally important that you do everything in your power to achieve the lowest house edge (highest RTP) possible. That means taking the extra effort to find the lowest house edge Casino War games. As I mentioned above, that Generous Rules pay table can only be found at online casinos employing Gamesys brand software.

If, for whatever reason, you cannot play at a Gamesys-powered casino, then you’ll at least want to play by standard rules. Any casino pawning off the Tight Rules pay table should be ashamed, and strictly avoided by players. That being said, if you are interested in learning how to play Casino War online for maximum RTP, I strongly suggest reading this next section carefully.

Online Gambling Safety Tips for New Players

The online gambling realm presents a fantastic opportunity to play all those games we rarely have the time to visit a land-based casino for. But with the good comes the bad. In this case, it’s the potential to get ripped off by rogue operators, or to have your information stolen by prying eyes.

Choose Your Casino Wisely

Such incidents are far less common today as they were in early days of iGaming. Regulations are in place, demanding strict compliance with player protections, and reputably licensed operators take greater security measures than ever before to meet those guidelines. But not all operators are reputably licensed.

Long story short – stick to online casinos with a long-standing licenses from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and/or Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), as these are the strictest remote gambling regulators on the planet. If you’d prefer to read the long version of this story, please refer to this link:

• Crash Course in Online Casino Safety & Security

Secure Your iGaming Device

As for avoiding the prying eyes of would-be information thieves, you’ll need to take a few extra precautionary measures on your end. If you’re using a desktop or laptop computer to access the internet, make sure you have a good anti-virus / anti-malware software package installed, and run scans regularly.

If you’re using a mobile device (smartphone or tablet), never, ever connect to an public WiFi network or open hot spot to use a gambling app. In fact, do not use any financial services while connected to an unsecured network such as these. Anyone with the right know-how can see every bit of information that passes over these networks. Only use your own mobile network, or your home WiFi. Use strong passwords and don’t give them out to anyone. The safer you are, the more secure your iGaming experience will be.