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This is a variation of the same mindless game you
played as a kid played on a blackjack size table with a six deck
shoe. All cards are ranked according to their poker value and
aces are always high. The player and the dealer each get one card.
If the player's card beats the dealer's card then the player wins
even money. If the dealer's card beats the player's card the player
loses. In the event that both cards are of equal value then the
player may either forfeit half his bet or go to "war."
If the player elects to go to war then he must double his bet,
the dealer then burns three cards before giving both the player
and himself a second card. If the player's second card either
beats or ties the dealer's second card then the player wins even
money on the raise and the original wager is a push. If the dealer's
second card beats the player's second card the player loses both
his original and the additional wager. There is also a side bet
available that the two original cards will tie, which pays 10:1.
House Edge
If the player goes to war on ties the house edge
is 2.88% and the element of risk is 2.68%. If the player forfeits
on ties the house edge and element or risk are both 3.70%. The
house edge on the tie bet is 18.65% (ouch!). The standard deviation
in casino war is 1.05.
Casino Niagara Rules
At the Casino Niagara in Niagara Falls Ontario the
rules are slightly more liberal. In the event of a tie after a
war the raise pays 2:1 and the original wager is still a push.
They use different semantics there, saying the raise pays 3:1
but you lose the original wager. It comes out to the same thing.
The house edge under these rules is 2.33% and the element of risk
is 2.19%.
Other Numbers of Decks
Real Time Gaming online casino use only one deck
in the game of War. The following table shows the house edge according
to various numbers of decks.
| Casino War House
Edge |
Number
of Decks |
House
Edge |
| 1 |
2.42% |
| 2 |
2.70% |
| 4 |
2.84% |
| 6 |
2.88% |
| 8 |
2.90% |
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