INITIAL PLAY
- War is played with 6 standard 52-card decks, excluding jokers.
- After all initial wagers have been placed, each active player hand and the dealer’s hand are dealt one card face-up.
- If a player hand has a higher-ranking card than the dealer, the player wins the initial main wager. All winning initial main wagers are paid even money (1 to 1).
- If a player hand has a lower ranking card than the dealer, the player loses the initial main wager.
- If a player hand and the dealer have an equal-ranked hand, the initial main wager is a tie. Players with a tie hand are given the option to “go to war” to settle the hand.
- The ranking of the cards are as follows: ace (highest value card), king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (lowest value card).
- The suit has no effect on the card ranking.
GO TO WAR
- In the event of a tie, (player and dealer are dealt cards of equal rank), the player is given two options; Surrender and forfeit half the initial main wager; or go to war. The player must make another war wager equal to their initial main wager. If the player goes to war, they may choose to make an additional optional secondary tie wager.
- If the player elects to go to war, the dealer deals one card each to the player and the dealer.
- If the player’s card has a lower rank than the dealer, the player loses both the initial main wager and the war wager.
- If the player’s card has a higher rank than the dealer, the player wins even money (1 to 1) on the war wager and pushes the initial main wager.
- If the player and the dealer tie again on the war hand, the player is paid 2 to 1 on the war wager and pushes the initial main wager.
INITIAL TIE WAGER
- The player may elect to place an optional initial tie wager. This wager must be made when the initial main wager is placed. To win the initial tie wager, the ranks of the player and the dealer’s cards must be equal.
- Players may not wager on the initial tie wager only – an initial main wager must be placed on that hand first.
- The initial tie wager is based on the initial cards of the player and dealer only.
- The player wins the initial tie wager if the player card and dealer card match in rank. Otherwise, the player will lose this wager.
- A tie hand will win its initial tie wager regardless of whether or not the player chooses to ‘go to war’ or not.
- The wager will be reconciled before the war process begins.
- A tie wager shall be paid 11 to 1.
SECONDARY TIE WAGER
- In the event of a tie on the initial main wager, (player and dealer are dealt cards of equal rank), the player may choose to make an additional wager in order to go to war. If the player goes to war, they may choose to make an additional optional secondary tie wager.
- Players may not wager on the secondary tie wager only – an additional war wager must be placed on that hand first.
- The secondary tie wager is based on the additionally dealt cards of the player and dealer only.
- The player wins the secondary tie wager if the player card and dealer card match in rank. Otherwise, the player will lose this wager.
- A secondary tie wager shall be paid at odds of 11 to 1.
PAYOUTS
| FIRST ROUND | WIN | TIE |
| MAIN BET | 1:1 | WAR? |
| TIE BET | – | 11:1 |
| GO TO WAR | WIN | TIE |
| MAIN BET | PUSH | PUSH |
| RAISE | 1:1 | 2:1 |
| TIE BET | – | 11:1 |
RULES
- These return to player values are based on the optimal strategy.
- The maximum initial main bet per hand is $1,000.00.
- The maximum initial tie bet per hand is $500.00.
- The deck is re-shuffled between each game round.
- Malfunction voids all pays and plays.
