How to Play War (Card Game): Rules, Ties and Variations

War is the simplest card game for two people. There are no decisions to make: each round, the higher card wins. That makes it a good first game for young children, a fine way to pass time on a trip, and a useful way to learn the order of the cards. This guide covers the standard rules, the tie-break that gives the game its name, why a game can be very long, and a few ways to add some skill.

What you need

• A standard 52-card deck. Jokers are removed.
• Two players. (There are versions for three or four, covered below.)
• A table or any flat surface.

Card order from lowest to highest: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace. Aces are high. Suits do not matter in the basic game.

Setup

1. Shuffle the deck.
2. Deal all the cards face down, one at a time, so each player has 26 cards.
3. Each player squares their cards into a face-down pile. Nobody looks at them.

How a round works

1. Both players turn over the top card of their pile at the same time and place it in the middle.
2. The higher card wins. That player takes both cards and puts them at the bottom of their own pile, face down.
3. Play the next round.

That is all there is to a normal round.

What happens in a tie: "war"

If both cards have the same rank, you have a war.

1. Each player puts one card face down on the table. Some groups put three cards face down instead. Agree on this before you start.
2. Then each player turns over another card face up.
3. The higher face-up card wins all the cards on the table: the two tied cards, the face-down cards and the new face-up cards.
4. If the new face-up cards tie again, there is another war, and the pile grows. Repeat until someone wins.

Wars are the exciting part of the game, because the winner of a double or triple war can take a large pile at once.

Not enough cards for a war

If a player does not have enough cards to complete a war, the usual rule is that they play their last card face up as the deciding card. A stricter rule says they lose the game on the spot. Agree on one before you begin.

How the game ends

You win when you have all 52 cards, which means your opponent has run out. If you play with a time limit, the player with more cards when the time is up wins.

Why War can take so long

Because the winner always puts cards at the bottom of their pile and nobody makes a decision, the game has no strategy and no way to catch up on purpose. A game can last a long time, and sometimes the lead swings back and forth many times. If you want a shorter game, set a time limit or use one of the variations below.

Does order matter when you pick the cards up?

Yes, a little, and it is the only thing in the game that is up to you. When you win a round, you may place the two cards in either order at the bottom of your pile. Over many rounds this can change which cards meet which. Most players do it at random, and it is a harmless way to feel in control.

Variations

• Short War. Each player uses only half the deck (26 cards total, 13 each) for a quick game.
• Speed War. Both players flip at the same time and slap the pile if the cards match. The first hand on the pile wins it. This is closer to the card game Slapjack and needs careful rules about who slaps first.
• Three or four players. The highest card wins the round. If the top two or more cards tie, the tied players go to war and the others sit out that war.
• Low card wins. Reverse the order so aces are low and the lowest card takes the round. Good for confusing everyone.
• War with a decision. Each player holds three cards in hand and chooses one to play each round. This turns War into a real game with some skill.

Tips

• Count the aces. There are four aces. If you have been dealt very few high cards, you will probably lose, and nothing you do changes it. That is part of the fun.
• Use it to teach. War is a good way to teach children to compare numbers and learn the order of picture cards.
• Play to a number of rounds. Fifty rounds is a decent short game, then count cards.

Where to go next

If you want a card game with real choices, try one of the games in our guide to 2 player card games, or learn how to play Go Fish or how to play rummy with 2 players. Free card and board games to play in your browser are in the Board and Card games category.

War is a traditional game with no owner. This page is an independent guide and is not affiliated with any publisher of card sets sold under that name.