- Maths reviewed by Josh Miller
- Tested by Diana Westfield
The Casino War calculator shows how much a game this simple really costs. You get one card, the dealer gets one, high card wins. On a tie you can surrender half your bet or go to war: double up, burn three cards, and draw again. The free CasinoCalcs calculator works out the house edge for any deck count, tells you which tie choice is cheaper, and puts a price on an hour at the table.
Casino War odds by deck count
| Decks | Chance of a tie | Go to war | Surrender | Tie bet at 10 to 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.88% | 2.42% | 2.94% | 35.29% |
| 2 | 6.80% | 2.71% | 3.40% | 25.24% |
| 6 | 7.40% | 2.88% | 3.70% | 18.65% |
| 8 | 7.47% | 2.90% | 3.73% | 17.83% |
Two things stand out. Going to war always beats surrendering. And more decks means more ties, which nudges the house edge up and makes the tie bet a little less awful, but still awful.
Why going to war is right
It feels like you’re putting more money at risk, and you are. But in the war you win the raise at even money and keep your original bet, and you only lose both if the dealer wins. Surrendering locks in a loss of half your bet every time. Over thousands of ties, the war costs you less. Some tables pay a bonus equal to your original bet if the war ties again, which cuts the edge to about 2.33% with six decks.
The tie bet
At 10 to 1 with six decks, a £10 tie bet loses about £1.87 on average every hand. The odds against a tie are roughly 12.5 to 1, and the payout is 10 to 1. That gap is the whole story. The main game at 2.88% is mid-table for casino games, not great, not terrible. At 80 hands an hour and £10 a hand, expect to lose about £23 an hour.
For other card games with a small, simple house edge, try the baccarat calculator or the blackjack calculator, which is cheaper again if you play basic strategy. The RTP and house edge calculator compares any game.
A fast game burns through money at even a small edge. BeGambleAware.org is free to talk to.