War (card game)
 | |
| Type | Adding-up-type |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 |
| Skills | Counting |
| Cards | 52 |
| Deck | Anglo-American |
| Rank (high→low) | A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 |
| Play | Clockwise |
| Playing time | 10-40 min. |
| Chance | Complete |
| Related games | |
| Beggar-My-Neighbour | |
War is a card game typically involving two players. It uses a standard Anglo-American playing card deck. Due to its simplicity, it is played most often by children.
Gameplay
The deck is divided evenly among the two players, giving each a face-down stack. In unison, each player reveals the top card on his stack (a "battle"), and the player with the higher card takes both the cards played and moves them to the bottom of his stack. If the two cards played are of equal value, each player lays down three face-down cards and a fourth card face-up (a "war"), and the higher-valued card wins all of the cards on the table, which are then added to the bottom of the player's stack. In the case of another tie, the war process is repeated until there is no tie.
A player wins by collecting all the cards. If a player runs out of cards while dealing the face-down cards of a war, he may play the last card in his deck as his face-up card and still have a chance to stay in the game.
When the cards are dealt the outcome to War is not fully determined because of slight variations in the how cards are returned to the playing. Even without shuffling, the order in which each individual card is placed in the deck can alter the outcome for one side or another. Variations exist to increase the enjoyment of the game play.
Statistics
After one million games were run with a computer program, the following results were achieved[1]:
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Average battles per game: | 248.314 |
| Average wars per game: | 15.0961 |
| Average double wars per game: | 0.756801 |
| Average triple wars per game: | 0.042637 |
| Average quadruple wars per game: | 0.002265 |
| Average quintuple wars per game: | 0.000113 |
| Average sextuple wars per game: | 0.000001 |
| Most battles in a game: | 2958 |
| Most wars in a game: | 155 |
| Most double wars in a game: | 12 |
| Most triple wars in a game: | 5 |
| Most quadruple wars in a game: | 2 |
| Most quintuple wars in a game: | 2 |
| Most sextuple wars in a game: | 1 |
| Fewest battles in a game: | 9 |
Presumably, the game with nine battles was the game with the sextuple war, which would have left the loser with one card. The loser of that war would then win a battle, then lose two in a row to eliminate all its cards.
Variations
Being a widely-known game, war has picked up many optional variations, some of which are listed below.
- Multiplayer War - With three or more players, a war occurs only when the two highest cards tie.
- Automatic War - A certain card, typically a 2 or a Joker causes an automatic war.
- Threes Beat Faces - In this variation, a 3 wins against any face card, but still loses against other cards higher than it.
- Fours Beat Aces - Usually played alongside the above variation, here a 4 beats an ace, but loses against other cards higher than it.
- Slap War - A certain card, usually 5 if playing with the above rules, has no numerical significance, and when a 5 is played, the first player to slap it collects the cards. If two players play a 5 or a war is caused in some other way, the person to slap the 5 wins regardless.
- Underdog - When a player has lost a war, he may check his three face down cards for a predetermined underdog card, usually 6 if playing with the above rules, and if one of the cards is a 6, he wins the war.
- Casino War - A simple variation played for money in casinos.
- Card Clash - A virtual version very similar. It is Kim Possible themed, and your opponent is either Dr. Drakken or Shego. Your deck is either Kim themed or villan themed. Instead of two cards when a Card Clash (war) happens, you draw three face-down cards and turn the fourth face up. The other rules are the same.
- Peace - A simple variation played the opposite of War. Lowest Card wins. Instead of 3 cards being laid down in a peace (a war) 5 are, 1 for each letter in peace.
- Super War - A recent rendition in which the size of the "battle" depends on the values of the cards involved.
See also
References
External links
- This site lists several varieties of variations of the card game War.
- Predictability in the Game of War
- [1] Simulations of War using MATLAB
- [2] Another good explanation of a War simulation using C++