How to Win at Casino War

Casino War is a card game that is relatively simple in comparison to other casino games. As with Caribbean stud poker, you are competing only with the dealer. To win the game, you need to be in possession of a higher ranking card than the dealer. Casino War is widely regarded as one of the easiest casino-based card games, but there are still certain playing strategies that can influence how likely you are to emerge as the winner.

Casino War Betting Strategies
While the hand that you are dealt is down to chance, putting the right betting strategy into place can be the difference between winning and losing.

1. Know your betting options – There are three types of bets that can be placed in Casino War. The “Ante” bet is made before any cards have been dealt. To win this bet, you simply need to have a higher card than the dealer once the cards have been dealt. The “Raise” bet is made when the dealer and the player are both dealt the same card of the same rank and cannot be made in any other circumstance. The amount placed on a “Raise” bet must be in line with the “Ante” bet. The “Tie” bet is made when a player bets that the first two cards that are dealt will result in a tie between himself and the dealer.

2. Factor in the house edge – The “Tie” bet will potentially yield the biggest payout, but this is because it is the least common of the three betting options. It also has a significant house edge of as much as 18 per cent. If you are looking to hedge your bets, this is the least preferable strategy as you are unlikely to win anything to cover your losses and will be staring at a loss.

3. Never surrender – If you surrender during a tie with the dealer, you will automatically be giving half of your bet to the house and bowing out of the game. Players often assume that this is a good option as it means that you will only be losing half of your bet, while you could potentially lose all of it by “going to War” instead. This may sound logical in theory, but surrendering immediately removes any chance you may have had to win. In a tie situation, most betting strategies advocate “going to War” to maintain the possibility of a win. This requires you to place a second bet which is equal to the amount that you put down for your first bet, so you are effectively betting double the amount by taking the “War” option. There is a strong chance that you will lose both bets, but “going to War” does at least open up the opportunity to win back your initial bet along with the “War” bet. Because “going to War” means that you have to double your first bet, it is best to reduce the amount that you place as your initial bet to avoid losing too much if you then go down the “War” route.