Casino War rules and odds

What Casino War is

Casino War is a casino version of the children's card game War, rebuilt as a banking game with a house edge. You place a bet, you and the dealer each receive one card, and the higher card wins. Aces are high and suits do not matter. If the cards are the same rank, the game moves to its one twist: the war.

It sits among the quick comparison games in the casino card games family, next to Dragon Tiger, which uses a similar one-card showdown. Online you will mostly find it as an RNG table game, and occasionally as a live table, though it is a less common sight in UK lobbies than blackjack or baccarat.

How to play Casino War, step by step

1. Place your main bet within the table limits, and add the optional Tie bet if you want it.
2. Start the round. You and the dealer each receive one card face up.
3. If your card is higher, you win even money. If the dealer's card is higher, you lose your bet.
4. If the cards tie, the Tie bet (if placed) is paid, and you choose: surrender or go to war.
5. Surrender: you lose half your main bet and the round ends.
6. Go to war: you add a second bet equal to the first. The dealer burns three cards, then deals one card each.
7. If your war card is equal to or higher than the dealer's, you win; if it is lower, you lose both bets.

Every round must be started by you at a UK-licensed casino, because autoplay has been banned on online casino games since 17 January 2025. The same date brought a minimum 5-second game cycle for RNG table games, explained below.

Going to war in Casino War: what you win and lose

The war payout is where most confusion lies. Under the common rule set, winning the war pays even money on the raise only, while the original bet is returned as a push. Some tables add a bonus if the war cards tie again, for example paying the original bet as well. The help screen shows which rules apply.

Going to war is better on average than surrendering. Your chance of winning or tying the war card is a little over half, and ties in the war count in your favour, so the average loss from going to war is smaller than the certain £5 loss from surrendering. That is why the published house edge is lower when you always go to war: about 2.88% against about 3.70% on six decks.

Casino War odds and house edge

With six decks, the chance that the dealer's card matches yours in rank is 23 in 311, about 7.40%. Without ties, you and the dealer would win equally often and the game would be even. The house edge comes entirely from what happens on ties: surrender costs you half a bet, and going to war risks a double bet for a single-unit win.

Deck count and bonus rules nudge these figures slightly. Fewer decks raise the edge a little, and a bonus for tying in the war lowers it. Variants differ, so the help screen's RTP is the figure to trust for the game you open. For context, 2.88% is close to single-zero roulette's 2.70% and well above the Banker bet in punto banco at about 1.06%. Our house edge guide explains the calculation.

The Casino War Tie bet: why it costs so much

The Tie bet is a side wager that your card and the dealer's will match in rank. It usually pays 10 to 1. The true odds against a tie with six decks are about 12.5 to 1, so the payout falls well short.

Worked example. Bet £2 on Tie for 100 rounds. You stake £200. With ties arriving about 7.40% of the time, you would expect about 7.4 winning rounds, each returning £22 including the stake, so roughly £162.80 back on average. The average cost is about £37, or 18.65% of the £200 staked, more than six times the main bet's edge. See our tie bet and side bet glossary entries for how these wagers compare across games.

Casino War variants and rule differences

• Deck count: six decks is the common standard; versions with more or fewer decks shift the edge slightly.
• Bonus on a war tie: some tables pay a bonus when the war cards also tie, which lowers the house edge a little.
• Tie bet payout: most tables pay 10 to 1; a lower payout makes the bet even worse value.
• Live v RNG: live Casino War deals from a physical shoe on camera; RNG versions reshuffle a virtual deck each round.

Related one-card games such as Dragon Tiger and Football Studio work differently on ties, usually returning half of a losing main bet. Our Football Studio and Andar Bahar guides cover other quick card formats.

UK rules for online Casino War

RNG Casino War is a non-slot casino game, so it falls under the Gambling Commission's January 2025 extension of game design rules. The Commission's speed-of-play decision (opens in a new tab) requires at least 5 seconds per game cycle from 17 January 2025. For a game where a round can be over in a second, that is a real brake on speed.

• No autoplay, so you start every round; see the autoplay ban.
• The 5-second minimum runs from the start of one round to the start of the next; details on our table game speed rules page.
• Net position and time played must be on screen.
• No statutory stake cap applies, unlike the £5 and £2 limits for slots; each table sets its own limits.

The technical detail sits in the Commission's Remote Technical Standards (opens in a new tab), which every licensed game supplier has to meet.

Casino War myths and bankroll maths

• A run of low cards means high cards are due. RNG versions reshuffle each round, and even a live shoe gives no useful forecast. See the gambler's fallacy.
• Surrendering protects your balance. It loses more on average than going to war.
• Doubling after losses recovers them. The Martingale meets table maximums and budgets long before it beats the edge.
• A game this simple must be close to even. It is close, but the tie rules still give the house about 2.88%.

Because rounds are so quick, volume is the main cost driver. At £5 per round with a 2.88% edge, 100 rounds cost about £14.40 on average and 300 rounds about £43.20, before adding any Tie bets. Set a round limit and a budget first, and use your casino's reality check to mark the time.

Who Casino War suits

If you want a simple game with a lower edge, baccarat's Banker bet costs less per pound; see online baccarat. If you want decisions that matter, online blackjack rewards correct play more than any other common table game.

Where to play Casino War in the UK

Casino War is less common than other table games, so search the lobby by name and read the rules panel before you deposit. Titles, rules and limits vary by site and change over time. None of our partners runs a Casino War or table-game offer. The offers below are for 18+ new customers, terms apply, last checked on 5 October 2026.

• Casumo: 50% bonus up to £100 on a first deposit of £20 or more; wager the bonus 10x within 7 days, £5 maximum bet with an active bonus, and game, play and payment restrictions apply, so check whether table games count.
• PlayOJO: 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each on a first deposit of £10 or more; no wagering, winnings paid in cash; not open to Northern Ireland customers.
• Coral: bet £10 on slots to get 100 free spins at 10p on selected games; no wagering on spin winnings; runs until 1 February 2027; some payment methods do not qualify.

See latest casino offers for the dated list or the casino games hub for other games. If gambling is causing worry, the National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare (opens in a new tab), is free on 0808 8020 133, 24/7.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set deposit limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.