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War

• Introduction
• War for two players
• War for three or four players
• P'yanitsa (Drunkard)
• Other Variations
• Software and On Line Games

Introduction

This is a children's game played in many parts of the world. No strategy is involved - simply the ability to recognise which of two cards is higher in rank, and to follow the procedure of the game. The standard two-player game is described first, then the game for three or four players, and finally a Russian version of it called Drunkard (P'yanitsa).

See also the War Variations page, for variations of War submitted by readers.

War for two players

In the basic game there are two players and you use a standard 52 card pack. Cards rank as usual from high to low: A K Q J T 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2. Suits are ignored in this game.

Deal out all the cards, so that each player has 26. Players do not look at their cards, but keep them in a packet face down. The object of the game is to win all the cards.

Both players now turn their top card face up and put them on the table. Whoever turned the higher card takes both cards and adds them (face down) to the bottom of their packet. Then both players turn up their next card and so on.

If the turned up cards are equal there is a war. The tied cards stay on the table and both players play the next card of their pile face down and then another card face-up. Whoever has the higher of the new face-up cards wins the war and adds all six cards face-down to the bottom of their packet. If the new face-up cards are equal as well, the war continues: each player puts another card face-down and one face-up. The war goes on like this as long as the face-up cards continue to be equal. As soon as they are different the player of the higher card wins all the cards in the war.

The game continues until one player has all the cards and wins. This can take a long time.

Most descriptions of War are not clear about what happens if a player runs out of cards during a war. There are at least two possibilities:

1. If you don't have enough cards to complete the war, you lose. If neither player has enough cards, the one who runs out first loses. If both run out simultaneously, it's a draw. Example: Players A and B both play sevens, so there is a war. Each player plays a card face down, but this is player B's last card. Player A wins, since player B does not have enough cards to fight the war.

2. If you run out of cards during a war, your last card is turned face up and is used for all battles in that war. If this happens to both players in a war and their last cards are equal, the game is a draw. Example: Players A and B both play sevens, so there is a war. Player A plays a card face down, but player B has only one card, so it must be played face up. It is a queen. Player A plays a card face up and it is also a queen, so the war must continue. Player B's queen stays (B's last card) while player A plays a card face dowmn and one face up, which is a nine. Player B wins the war and takes all these seven cards (the five cards that A played and the two cards that B played) and the game continues normally.

War for three or four players

War can also be played by three or more players in much the same way. Deal out as many as possible of the cards so that everyone has an equal number (17 for 3 players, 13 for 4).

All players simultaneously turn over a card and the highest wins all the cards tuned up. If two or more players tie for highest there is a war - everyone plays their next card face-down and then turns up a third card. This continues until one of the face-up cards is higher than all the others, and then that player wins all the cards in a war.

Note that all players take part in a war, not only the ones who had the highest cards.

A player who runs out of cards drops out. The game goes on until only one player has cards, and that player wins.

P'yanitsa (Drunkard)

Leo Broukhis contributed this Russian version of War, which he says is mostly played by kids in summer camps on a rainy day.

Number of players:

2, although 3 or 4 is not unheard of.

Deck:

36 cards - A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6 of each suit. It would be possible, but unusual, to use a 52 card deck.

Goal:

There are two versions: in one the aim is to avoid collecting all the cards; in the other it is the opposite - not to run out of cards

Deal:

All the cards are dealt face down evenly to the players, who hold the cards as packs, still face down.

Course of play:

The play consists of the number of tricks. Each trick is played as follows: each player (in no particular order) turns the top card of their pack face up and places it on the table. Whoever has placed the highest rank card wins the trick, collects the cards on the table, and puts them at the bottom of his pack face down in no particular order.

The ranking of the cards is from ace (high) down to six (low), except that a six beats an ace. In other words, if a six and an ace are played the six counts as the highest card and wins the trick, but if a six is played an no one played an ace the six counts as lowest. (If you played with 52 cards it would be the 2, not the 6, that would beat the ace.)

If there is a tie for highest then either:

• everybody puts a new card face up on top of the card they played the previous trick, or
• everybody puts a new card face down on top of the card they played the previous trick, then a card face up.

It must be agreed beforehand which of these two methods will be used. In either case whoever plays the highest of the new face-up cards wins the trick, or if there is a tie the process is repeated.

End of the game:

In one version the loser is the player who is left with all the cards at the end. This is the drunkard ("had all the booze"). In the other version, whoever loses all their cards first loses and is the drunkard ("spent all the money").

Other Variations

Many variations submitted by readers of this site will be found on the War Variations page of the Invented games section.

Software and On Line Games

The collection Hoyle® Card Games for Windows XP or Mac OS X includes a War program, along with many other popular card games.

A casino version of War can be played on line for real money at 49er Casino. This casino, which uses RealTime Gaming software, aims for a Vegas feel, with Yosemite Sam as its mascot.

War can also be played on line at the Blue Strip Casino.

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This page is maintained by John McLeod (john@pagat.com).
© John McLeod, 1995, 1999, 2003

Last updated 29th October 2008