War, what is it good for? Absolute fun and profit, that’s what it’s good for! If your childhood was anything like mine, you played the card game War often. One day the casino execs woke up and decided to bring this popular card game to the casino.
In Las Vegas, War was a side game. If a casino had it, the game was given one table spot in the pit. Thankfully, online casinos aren’t limited to floor space and that’s why most online casinos have War.
Okay, I’m not going to assume you know how to play, so I’ll start at the beginning.
War is played against the dealer. If you’re playing it online, it will just be you at the table. In real life, there could be other players, but everyone is playing against the dealer.
War is played with one deck of cards and the deck is shuffled after every hand. Your goal is to beat the dealer. It’s a simple game. You get one card and the dealer gets one card. You want your card to be higher than the dealer’s card.
In War, the cards rank like this: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace.
Okay, it’s called War and war is what we want. If your card matches (in rank) the card the dealer gets, you’ve got a potential war. I say potential, because you can fold if you feel nervous.
I don’t recommend folding. Why? Well, if you’re not going to war, why play the game. Honestly, the fold option makes no sense. It’s just there to take advantage of the suckers. I mean think about it. The deck is fresh. Two cards are out. You and the dealer have the same cards. Why on earth would you fold?
Instead, your move is to double your wager (required to stay in the hand) and see what happens. It’s just like the classic game. Three cards are placed face down on each hand and a fourth card is placed face up. If your fourth card is higher than the dealer’s fourth card, you win. If not, you lose. It’s as simple as that.
There’s no thinking in this game. It’s a fun game to kick back to. You place your wager, get a card and win, lose or go to war. The payout is always even money no matter how you win.
Actually, war can be a blessing. It’s the only way you can increase your original wager.
Example Hand:
You place a $5 bet. The dealer gets a 7 and you get a 7. You decide to stay in and go to war, so you place an additional $5 wager-$10 total now. You and the dealer get three down cards and a fourth up card. The dealer shows a 6 and you show a 10. You win and are promptly paid $10.