Q&A for How to Play War (Card Game)

No, it only applies to the people who declare "war". The third player is unaffected and will have to wait until the war ends.

You're technically not supposed to, but you're welcome to come up with your own rules for your own game, as long as all players can agree on them.

Not in the traditional game, unless you want to change the rules. If you meant the jack card, then yes, an ace could beat a jack.

Yes, although it would be a bit lonely, and you would win/lose anyway. You might want to find someone else to play with!

Not that I know of, but if you want you could always make up your own!

You can take one card out and make sure your players have the same amount of cards.

The person that still has cards left will win the war.

It doesn't matter how many cards each person has -- you don't even need a full deck to play war. For a shorter game, use fewer cards (10-20), and for a longer game, use more.

This is a game based solely on chance. Don't flinch right before turning a card over, rig the game or peek at your cards.

It means you won that specific round, so you collect your card and the opponent's losing card.

If the players who would be affected in the war each play a joker then yes, you "Declare War."

The 2 other people would go to war and the third person would not be affected by the war cards they get.

It is not clear by most rules. The person may lose in a version, and the person may continue the war with his last card in another. I personally prefer the first version.

Yes, the high joker (full color) does beat the low joker (single color) in War.

Yes. Jokers have the same value. When two people have the same numerical value, they go to war.

Fan them out face down and count. As long as neither player sees your stack, there is no transgression.

No. The 10 would win since it has a higher value.

No, there is no limit to the number of consecutive 'wars' that can occur. You continue to 'war' until one player wins that particular round by playing a higher-ranked card.

No, you do not get two additional cards from your opponent for having an Ace. An Ace is typically the highest card, which means you win the cards played in that specific round.

You can set aside the Jokers, as they are typically not used when playing War.

You are describing a potential variation of the game's rules, though it differs from what is presented in this article. Step 4 in this article outlines two options for tied battles: the classic play (three cards down, one face up) and a sub-bullet variation (one card down, one face up). In both cases, if cards are still tied, all involved players proceed to an "all-out war." Your proposed variation alters which players participate in the war and does not specify the number of cards played in the tied battle.

You win the game of War by collecting all of the cards from all players. Some variations of the game may end earlier, with the player holding the largest or smallest pile of cards declared the winner to simplify gameplay.

The player who played the King wins that round, as the King is the highest card among those played. A 'war' situation typically only occurs when two or more players play cards of the same, highest rank.

In a three-player game of War, when two players tie with the highest card, only those two go to war. The third player, who did not tie, simply sits out that round and waits for the war to resolve.

All cards can declare war; however, a war is specifically declared only when cards are even in value with each other.

The shortest games can be played in about 15 minutes. On average, you can expect a game to last around 20 minutes, particularly with favorable hands and typical gameplay.

Yes, a game of War can theoretically go on indefinitely due to repeating cycles of cards, particularly during "war" phases where players might continuously draw the same high-ranking cards.

Yes, you can certainly play the War card game with just two players. This often allows for more focused gameplay, as each player can concentrate on the cards being played.

If your last card causes a war, you must play that final card face-up as your war card, as you won't have enough cards to place three face-down. The opposing player, however, will still follow the standard war rules by playing three cards face-down and then turning a fourth card face-up. The player with the higher face-up card wins all cards in play.

If you have only two cards remaining for a 'war', you should place your first card face-down and then your last card face-up to determine the winner. The other player, assuming they have enough cards, would typically place three cards face-down and their fourth card face-up. It's often helpful to announce that you are playing your last card.