Casino War
By
Will Veda
Remember
playing the card game War as a kid with a sibling, which
usually ended up in a bout of fisticuffs?
A few casinos—mainly in Las Vegas—offer a version
of this game and appropriately call it, Casino War.
Casino
War is basically played the same but with a few twists, the
main being the usual use of six decks.
The gaming table is similar to Blackjack that
accommodates seven players’ betting spots.
After each player places a wager he receives one card,
as does the dealer. One by one the player compares his card with the dealer’s
card and the highest wins.
The cards are ranked the same as in poker, with Aces as
the highest card. Suits do not matter. If
the player’s card beats the dealer, he wins even money.
If his card is lower he loses his wager.
It’s as easy as that...Until there’s a tie and
here’s where the real battle begins.
If
the player and the dealer receive the same card, the player
has two choices to make: surrender and lose half of the
original wager or (dum dum da dum – battle field trumpets
blare) Go To War! If
the brave soldier decides to go into combat he must place an
additional bet equal to his original wager.
The dealer also raises his wager, but it don’t mean a
thing. Three
cards are then burned (discarded) before the “battle” card
is given to the player. Three
more cards are burned before the dealer receives his battle
card. If the
player’s battle card beats or ties the dealer’s
battle card, the player wins even money on the raised bet
only. The
original wager is considered a push and returned.
If the dealer’s card beats the player’s card, the
player loses both the original wager and the raised
wager. Ouch!
That damned House Advantage.
Some
casinos, however, offer a bonus equal to the original wager if
the battle cards tie. There
is also a Tie Bet available that pays 10 to 1, but the house
edge is nearly 18%. Not worth the money.
The only strategy advice is to go ahead and battle on
the initial tied cards. The
player’s edge is slightly better in doing so, plus that’s
the name of the game.
Okay, so what’s next?
Casino Go Fish or Casino Old Maid or how about Casino
Fifty-two (Fifty-three with a joker) Card Pickup?
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