Real Money Casino War

Casino War is one of the first card games I ever played as a kid. Sitting at the kitchen table with my grandfather, I thought War was the best game ever invented. Little did I know back then that casinos also offer a real-money version of the game.

Casino War is not a difficult game to learn. In fact, you could probably visit any gambling site right now with no preparation and figure it out on your own. The goal in the game is to simply get a higher card than the dealer.

Where to Play Casino War for Real Money

The majority of real money gambling sites offer Casino War although I have found a few that don’t. But for the most part, you won’t have any trouble finding casinos with the game. The most important thing in choosing a casino is finding a casino that has a positive reputation.

With that in mind, any of the following casinos will treat you well:

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The Best US Casino War Casinos for 2016

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The Best Casino War Casino for 2016

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The Best Casino War Casino for 2016

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How to Play

If you need a refresher on how to play Casino War, this is it. The gist of the game is that you place a wager and then both you and the dealer receive one card. If your card is higher, you win. If your card is lower, you lose. That’s how the majority of hands play out. All bets are paid out in even money terms. So if you bet $1, you’ll get $1 for winning.

When a tie occurs, you have the option to fold or go to war. If you fold, you lose your wager and continue to the next hand. If you choose to go to war, you will place another bet equal to the size of the first bet and then you and the dealer will each receive one more card.

If you win after going to war, you receive an even money bet on your original wager only. The second wager is returned to you without any additional winnings. If you lose after going to war, you lose both bets. This is where the house advantage originates.

At some casinos (including the ones listed above), tying again after going to war is an automatic win for the player. So let’s say you play a hand of casino war and tie. You choose to go to war and then tie yet again. In that case, you will automatically win even money on your original bet and have your second bet returned to you without any winnings.

How to Win

There is no guaranteed method for winning at Casino War. The game has a fixed structure and there’s nothing you can do to beat the casino over the long term.

However, there is one piece of strategy that will help you keep the house advantage at an acceptable level:

Always go to war.

If you choose to NOT go to war, you forfeit your bet and lose the hand. There’s no coming back from that. If you go to war, you increase your risk a little bit, but you still have a chance to win. The math proves that going to war is always the best strategy.

The house advantage of casino war is roughly 2.87% if you always go to war. The advantage changes a little based on how many decks are in play, but it is usually a little under 3%. This isn’t a terrible house advantage considering how simple the game is. Most simple casino games (such as keno) have a much higher house advantage.

If you ever play at a casino that offers a wager on the tie outcome, avoid that wager. The tie bet has a terribly high house advantage that can range anywhere from less than 18% to more than 35%. Betting on the tie is a fast way to lose money. Don’t do it.

Deposit Bonuses with Casino War

Casino war is not compatible with all casino bonuses. I had to check every casino on my recommended list above to make sure it allows casino war to be played when clearing the welcome bonus. Some casinos specifically restrict casino war from being used to clear their bonuses.

If you’re considering a casino other than the ones listed on this page, make sure you read the bonus terms and conditions before you sign up and deposit. I have seen some casinos that say that if you place a single bet on casino war, the entire bonus will be voided.

Do your research and make sure your casino allows the bonus to be cleared with casino war. If you’re dead-set on a casino that DOES NOT allow casino war for the bonus, you can usually send them an e-mail and ask them to let you make a deposit without getting any bonus at all.

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