Casino War (XE88): the one-card showdown and its tie bet

The old guide called Casino War "a war you are fighting with your luck", and that is about right. It is the most basic game on the XE88 tables. You and the dealer each get one card, the higher card wins, and the whole round takes a few seconds. There is no strategy on the main bet. What matters is knowing what the side bet is worth.

How a round works

1. Choose a chip from the rail (0.5, 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 or 1000).
2. Place it in a betting circle. The table limits are shown top-left: minimum 0.5, maximum 1000.
3. Press Deal. You get one card, the dealer gets one card.
4. Higher card wins. An even-money main bet pays 1 to 1.
5. New Game clears the table, and Rebet repeats your last stake.

Aces are high in the standard game, and suits do not matter.

The tie bet, printed across the felt

The arc across the table reads TIE BETS PAY 10 TO 1. This is a side bet that both cards will have the same rank. It pays well because it rarely happens: with several decks in the shoe, the dealer matches your card's rank only about one round in thirteen or fourteen, and with a single deck it is rarer still.

That is the problem. A fair payout for something that happens once in about 13.5 rounds would be around 12.5 to 1. At 10 to 1 the house keeps a much bigger slice than on the main bet. It is a fun extra now and then, not a regular habit.

What about a tie on the main bet?

In the casino version of this game, a tie on the main bet gives you a choice: surrender and take back half, or "go to war" by matching your bet and drawing again. The old XE88 guide did not say how its version handles this, so read the help screen before you raise your stake.

Keep it light

Because rounds are so quick, Casino War can eat a budget faster than slower tables. Set a limit on rounds as well as money. The game sits with the other XE88 table games, and you can play Casino War on XE88 with our partner account. 18+ only.