The Best Online Casino War Multihand Guide
What comes to mind when you hear the name “Casino War”? You’re probably imagining entering a casino to play a game that involves soldiers, guns, armor tanks, and more. Casino War is a simple card game that involves a player and a dealer. If you’re looking for a game that offers a high RTP, is fun, and is easy to play, Casino War Multihand may be the ideal option for you. A game with a 97% or higher RTP almost guarantees you’ll get some winnings. Our Casino War Multihand guide outlines all you need to know about the game and how to get started. While it’s easy to understand and improve upon, we also include an ideal strategy to help maximize your winnings.
What Is Casino War Multihand?
If you have ever played the classic War game, you’ll find Casino War familiar. You’ll also notice some differences between them, and the original version isn’t as simple as Casino War. In the traditional card match, a player takes over all their opponent’s cards in all series of battles.
This casino version, often featured in casino news, involves you playing with real money against the dealer. The objective of the game is to hold a higher card than your dealer. In addition, you can play multiple hands.
This contest is a straightforward process until the player and dealer both have the same card value — they’ll have to “go to war,” and the dealer will draw two additional cards. You’ll need to double down the initial wager. If your new card has a higher value than the dealer’s, you’ll get the whole pot.
The History of Casino War Multihand
In 1993, a casino game design company known as BET Tech Inc strived to protect their intellectual property (Casino War) by filing a claim with the USPTO (the United States Patent and Trademark Office). Dave Sugar, a Las Vegas-based Hacienda Casino staff, invented the game, and BET Technology marketed it.
Although it took a long while before casino owners accepted the concept, by 2000, most Las Vegas Strip casinos like MGM Grand had started operating multiple tables of the game. About two years later, Casino War kicked off for online play through the Betfair online platform, while competitors followed suit with their own versions.
The First Casino War Model
Bet Technology and Sugar’s model for the game, as detailed in the Casino War Multihand Guide, was simple: adapt the same basic gameplay (which we grew up knowing) for the player against dealer format used in several table games. Players place an Ante wager (mandatory) to start the game, then the dealer deals a card to the player and takes one for themselves too.
Similar to the basic rules of War, a player wins if their card is higher, though in this case, they’ll get even money on the Ante bet. If the player reveals a lesser card, the house claims their Ante bet.
When the player and the dealer have the same card (tie), players can choose to “declare war” by placing another Raise bet that matches the Ante bet amount. After that, the dealer burns three cards and deals another card face down to decide the winner of the war. The player can also choose to “surrender” after a tie and receive 50% of their initial bet, though most bettors prefer to go to war than retreat.
The Acquisition by ShuffleMaster
Due to its entertaining yet simplistic gameplay, Casino War became more popular among recreational bettors. With slot machine developers attaching old childhood games such as Battleship, Monopoly, Yahtzee, and Scrabble to video slots (modern), the casino industry clearly hoped to lure gamblers using nostalgia strategy.
Casino War was a perfect fit within this philosophy. Casino War gained more popularity among gamblers, and casinos benefitted from the high house advantage. Hence, the top casino game marketers became more interested in the game.
In 2004, Shuffle Master, a highly-rated casino game design company, acquired BET Technology’s portfolio. After the purchase, Shuffle Master continued shifting away from the slot sector into table games, where it is currently dominant.
Casino War, especially the Multihand version detailed in the Casino War Multihand Guide, is now one of the most commonly played casino games within the gambling system. There are several reasons why purely profit-driven bettors tend to ignore the Casino War table, though that hasn’t affected the game’s extensive appeal.
However, recreational gamblers who visit the casino to have a good time or reminisce on their childhood games can’t get enough of Casino War, especially the Multihand version, which allows betting on multiple hands. You can learn the rules within a few minutes, and the betting procedure is very simple.
Learning How to Play with this Casino War Multihand Guide
The Casino War Multihand game requires you to place an ante bet (a minimum of $5 in most casinos) on the main game. You can also place a side bet (optional) if there’s a “tie” (we’ll discuss more on this later in this Casino War Multihand guide), and this wager pays out 10:1 if you and your dealer have similar card ranks.
When it comes to its base gameplay, the Casino War Multihand game is more like a high card competition between the dealer and the player. Using a standard deck (52 cards) of cards, the dealer will deliver a card to you (facing up) and to themselves.
If your card has a higher value than the dealer’s card, you will get even money on the original bet. But if the dealer’s card has a higher value than yours, you will forfeit the chips.
The fun starts when you and your dealer both reveal the same card value. At that point, you can choose to “surrender” or take back 50% of your bet amount, which means that you’ll lose the other 50% automatically.
No one plays a game to give up easily without a fight if they’re given the opportunity. Hence, you’ll likely opt for the other option — declare war against your dealer.
If you declare war, your dealer will require you to make a second wager, the same amount as the original bet. After doing this, the dealer burns three cards and deals out their last card before repeating that same procedure for your final card.
The one with the highest valued second card will win the war, though things can get tricky at this point. Instead of winning $20 on your total wager ($10 ante + $10 war wager), you will win only half. That is to say — your additional war bet will be paid at even money while the ante bet will be taken back as a push.
This may seem unfair. What about “the victor gets the spoils?” But the house gets its treasured advantage over the player through this payout structure. If the 50% payout on a war win weren’t in place, you would be playing an absolutely fair, even money game against the casino, but Las Vegas didn’t get here by playing fair.
Finally, ensure to look for casinos that offer a 3 to 1 bonus payout whenever you have a second tie succeeding the war declaration. This premium return significantly reduces the house advantage.
The Tie Bet Pays a 10 to 1 Bonus
In Casino War Multihand, you can back the side bet (tie) to level the battlefield if you’re feeling lucky. The optional bet is one of the most profitable long shots in table games as it pays at 10:1. Unfortunately, the chances of the dealer and player winding up tied is only 7.39%, so you shouldn’t expect a regular tie bet.
But if you’re used to playing Blackjack, you can “count” exposed cards to know if bunches of similar rank are buried in the deck. If you find a cluster of threes, fours, and fives pass by, placing a tie bet while hoping to get a King-King tie becomes more likely.
Comparing the House Advantage of Common Table Games
The house edge in Casino War Multihand (at .88%) is much lower than most bettors think. A few casino table games have a better house edge, including Blackjack at about 0.5% with optimal strategy and European Roulette (.7%).
But several table games offer a worse house advantage, including Big Six Wheel (a whopping 11.1%), Let It Ride (3.5%), and Three-Card Poker (3.37%). Caribbean Stud Poker, Let It Ride, and Three-Card Poker are more popular games among sharp and casual bettors alike. However, Casino War beats them all with its significantly reduced house advantage.
Variations in House Edge
While Casino War Multihand typically uses six decks of cards, some online casinos use varying numbers of decks. The house edge is determined by the number of decks.
For instance, the house edge using six decks with a bonus is .33%, while it drops to about % in one-deck gameplay. Some casinos even use eight decks, putting the house edge at .34%.
The major difference in statistical probability between using different numbers of decks in Casino War Multihand is the odds on each tie. Playing with six decks puts it at 18.65%. Using eight decks will drop the odds to 17.3%, while one deck will increase the odds on a tie to more than 35%.
Like every card game, mathematicians are keen on capitalizing on even the smallest piece of information that can boost their success chances.
For instance, when a player goes head-to-head versus the dealer, and there’s a tie, they’ll be risking two wagering units and hope for a single-unit win and payout.
While it may sound undesirable, the alternative of forfeiting half your bet isn’t a desirable option. As a result, most players opt for this option, even if the dealer has more winning advantage at this stage. If a player surrenders every time there’s a tie, the house advantage will increase to 4%, which will decrease their stack of chips after a couple of games.
Learn the Casino War Multihand Guide Strategies
Now that you know how to play Casino War Multihand, it’s time to learn better ways to win the game. We recommend practicing Casino War Multihand for free at our recommended online casino.
That way, you can know whether the game suits your preference. And while playing for free, ensure to use these strategy tips for optimal results.
Avoid Placing the Side Bet
Apart from the initial ante bet, Casino War allows you to place an extra wager whenever there’s a tie. While this side bet seems to be cool at first as it pays out 10 to 1, it’s worthless.
The chances of getting a tie are too low, and here’s why. Since the game involves six decks of cards that give the dealer and the player equal winning chances, they both have 46.3% chances of victory.
That leaves them with just a 7.4% chance of getting a tie. And to make matters even worse, after making your side bet, the house advantage skyrockets to over 18.5%. That’s a huge risk.
Keep an Eye on the Ace Cards
The highest value card in a Casino War game is the Ace. The strategy here involves watching the frequency at which your dealer deals out the Ace cards. If you’re yet to see an Ace after a while, you can hope to see it soon, and getting it would result in either a tie or a win.
Note that you can’t predict the exact time the Ace will come up. However, knowing that it’s close to appearing will increase your advantage at the table. Hence, the best strategy in a Casino War game involves being alert and paying close attention to every card that has appeared.
Wager with Small Amounts
As with all real money games, the house always gets an advantage in Casino War. It’s often a question of reducing your losses, but you can’t avoid losing entirely.
Having this knowledge, as you earnestly anticipate the appearance of an Ace card, remember to only wager within your budget limits, even if you’re sure that you’ll be lucky on the next hand. Besides, you’ll only win your wager amount if you win.
Hence, betting big has no significant advantage as there’s no bonus or Jackpot to be won. Therefore, we advise you always to consider placing the lowest bet.
Don’t Surrender
If a tie occurs, you’ll have two options: go to war or surrender. You have a higher chance of winning the Casino War game if you decide not to surrender.
The reason is that you’ll lose 50% of your wager if you quit a hand. Besides, if you surrender after a tie occurs, the house edge becomes 3.7%.
But, going to war will tremendously reduce the house edge to a meager .8%. This means that refusing to quit will earn you a 50/50 winning chance, though you’ll need to place another wager with the same amount as your initial bet to continue playing.
Walk Away When it’s Time
Now that you understand that the house always gets an advantage, you need to choose a point at which you will walk away. Set a specific time when you’ll cash your winnings — while there’s still some cash in your pockets.
Once the time you set to walk away comes, ensure to walk away, not minding whether you’re in the red or the black. Also, ensure to play moderately — avoid gambling with funds that you cannot afford to lose.
Play Online for Real Money
You’ll hardly find a casino that doesn’t offer Casino War Multihand. Although the game isn’t as popular as Roulette or Blackjack, it’s a favorite among gamblers, especially beginners, due to its easy gameplay.
Depending on your region or state, visiting a casino might be tough, but fortunately for you, Casino War Multihand is available for real money play in almost all online casinos. Although the name might not be exactly the same, you’ll find a variation of this game available online for real money or demo play.
If you’re looking for a casino site to play Casino War Multihand for real money, we recommend using Vegas Aces, a highly secure and reliable online casino. Apart from offering Casino War Multihand, Vegas Aces also offers exciting bonuses and accepts numerous payment methods.
How to Choose an Online Casino to Play
If you’re new to online gambling and don’t know how to choose the right online casino to play Casino War Multihand, there are some things you should know. It would help if you considered essential factors like security, site reputation, bonuses, game selection, and more. We explain some of them below.
Wide Selection of Games
You should be able to play casino games conveniently in online casinos. Most of these sites pride themselves on their large game collections. Typically, the best casino sites will offer a wide variety of games, such as every standard casino game, and different theme variations for each game, or gamified versions of the games.
However, the ideal casino site for you depends on the kind of games you wish to play. Beginners should opt for a casino with a wide variety of games to pick from. That will help you to try different options without stress.
Fair Wagering Conditions
Here’s one of the major disadvantages of playing at casino sites, though they’ll need to make money somehow. Most casinos offer appealing bonuses to their old and new players to entice them and keep them. The bonuses typically enable players to enjoy a few games without spending their money.
The wagering requirement is an amount that a player must bet, of their own money, before cashing out winnings from the bonuses. A few casinos make it tougher by setting a time limit for players to complete it to avoid losing their winnings. However, the best online casino sites will make bonuses easy and fair for bettors to complete.
Quick Withdrawal Processing
One of the most interesting benefits of gambling is the opportunity to win money. But some casino sites can be sneaky and won’t allow you to withdraw your winnings easily.
Ensure to choose a casino that processes withdrawals in no time. You don’t want to wait for several days or weeks to receive your winnings.
Compatibility with Mobile Devices
These days, most individuals spend several hours on mobile devices performing different operations such as banking, chatting with friends, gambling online, and shopping. Online gambling has become more convenient, with most casino sites supporting mobile gaming.
It enables players to enjoy casino games wherever and whenever they want. The best casino sites will allow you to play your favorite game on your mobile phone — by playing directly through your mobile browser or via a downloadable app.
Playing with Bonus
Some online casinos offer a welcome bonus and several other offers to bettors who play this game for real money. The bonuses are usually offered as a percentage of the amount you deposit.
For example, when you make a $30 deposit, you’ll get a 100% bonus (another $30) to play more games. These bonuses usually come with rules surrounding their use, but the casinos generally allow you to play a real money game with the funds.
You’ll usually not be able to bet more than $5 per hand if you use the bonus. The bonus also usually comes with a playthrough requirement, which means that you must wager a given amount before you can cash out your winnings.
Using a bonus to play this game is your choice. Playing with a bonus will give you additional chips to game with and perhaps a better gaming experience and more winning chances. However, you have to follow the rules, including the rollover requirements.
Hence, some bettors prefer to play Casino War Multihand with real money and avoid being bound by rules. Whatever your choice is, we recommend playing at Vegas Aces, an online gambling site that offers bonuses with easy-to-understand and fair rules. Remember, if you want to know more about Vegas Aces, check our social media and be aware of every news.
Casino War Multihand Guide FAQs
Can I Play Casino War Multihand on My Phone?
Yes, you can play Casino War Multihand on your mobile devices as long as you have a good Internet connection. Several online casinos have apps which you can download on your phone. You can also play on casino sites like Vegas Aces through a mobile browser like Chrome or Firefox. The mobile version of Casino War on this site is very responsive and offers smooth gameplay.
Can I Count Cards in a Casino War Game?
Counting is not really effective in a Casino War Multihand game since it's symmetrical. Every payout is even money, and removing cards does not have any significant effect. Knowing that there are more high cards in the deck doesn't help you since the dealer also has the same chance of getting them as you do.
Can Multiple Players Play Casino War Multihand?
Casino War can be played by multiple players in the same way. Players get as many cards as possible — everyone gets an equal number (13 cards for four players, 17 cards for three players, etc.). Every player simultaneously turns over one card as the one with the highest value wins every revealed card.
Is Casino War Multihand a Fun Casino Game?
Casino War Multihand is among the simplest card games you can play online for real cash. However, even the easiest Casino games require using a strategy to reduce the house edge. And even though leaving everything to luck sounds more fun, it is not a smart decision if you're playing Casino War Multihand for real money
How to Win a Casino War Game?
The objective of the game is simple: you will place a bet on your card against the dealer's cards. You and the dealer will receive one card each, and the one with the highest card wins. If your card and the dealer's card have the same value (tie), you can choose to go to "War," you will both receive an extra card.