How many cards do you put down in War?

Most people put three cards face down and then one face up when there's a tie. Bicycle's printed rules and pagat.com use just one face-down card and one face-up card. Both work; the three-card version moves more cards per war and ends games faster. Agree on it before you start.

What happens if you run out of cards during a war?

The most common rule is that your last card is turned face up and stands for you in that war. Pagat.com also lists a stricter rule: if you can't complete the war, you lose the game. Families with young kids usually use the gentler rule so the game doesn't end on a technicality.

Are aces high or low in War?

Aces are high in War. The order from high to low is ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. Some families play aces low for young children, but Bicycle ranks the ace highest, and that's how most people play.

How long does a game of War take?

A full game of War can take anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour, because cards keep changing hands. Many families set a time limit, often 10 or 15 minutes, and the player with more cards when the timer goes off wins. The three-down war also speeds things up.

Can 3 people play War?

Yes. Deal the cards as evenly as you can, and everyone flips at once. The highest card wins all the cards played. If two or more players tie for the highest card, only they go to war. Anyone who runs out of cards is out, and the last player with cards wins.

Is there any skill in the card game War?

No. In standard War every move is forced, so the result depends entirely on how the cards were shuffled. That makes it a good first game for kids because nobody has an advantage. If you want some choice, play a variant where each player holds a few cards and picks one to play.

What happens when there's a tie in a war?

If the face-up cards in a war tie again, you have a double war. Each player puts down another set of face-down cards and flips another face-up card. The higher card takes everything on the table, which can be 18 or more cards with the three-down rule.

War Card Game Rules: How to Play War

1Object of the game

Win all the cards. Every battle moves cards from one player to the other, and the game ends when one player holds the whole deck. There are no decisions to make in the standard game, so War is pure luck, which is exactly why young kids like it: anyone can win.

2Setup

Shuffle a standard 52-card deck and deal it out one card at a time, face down, until each player has 26 cards.
Each player squares up their cards into a face-down pile in front of them. Nobody looks at their cards.
Cards rank from high to low: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. Aces are high, and suits don't matter.

3The play

Both players turn over the top card of their pile at the same time and put it face up in the middle.
The player whose card is higher takes both cards and puts them face down on the bottom of their pile.
If the two cards are the same rank, it's war. Leave the tied cards on the table. Each player puts three cards face down, then turns one more card face up. Many kids say "I declare war" or "W-A-R" as they lay the cards down.
The higher of the new face-up cards takes every card on the table: the two tied cards, the face-down cards, and the face-up cards. That's 10 cards in a single war.
If the new face-up cards tie again, repeat the war with three more face-down cards and one face-up card each. The winner takes the whole pile.

4End of a hand

War has no rounds. You keep flipping and comparing until one player has won every card. If a player doesn't have enough cards to finish a war, the most common rule is that they turn their last card face up and use it for that war. Some families say a player who can't complete a war loses immediately. Agree before you start, since games often end this way.

5Scoring

There are no points in War. You win by collecting all 52 cards. This table shows how many cards change hands in each situation with the common three-down war.

For	Points
Plain battle (higher card wins)	2 cards
War (tie, then 3 down and 1 up each)	10 cards
Double war (tie again on the face-up cards)	18 cards
Game over	One player holds all 52 cards

Bicycle and pagat.com both print the war with one card face down and one face up, so a single war wins 6 cards. The three-down version is how most people play at home. Because War can run a long time, many families set a timer and the player with more cards when it goes off wins.

6Winning

The player who ends up with all 52 cards wins. If you're playing to a time limit instead, stop when time is up, count each player's cards, and the player holding more wins. A tie at 26 cards each is possible under a time limit; flip one more battle to settle it.

7A worked hand

You flip the 9♠ and your opponent flips the 9♦. It's war. Both 9s stay on the table, and each of you deals three cards face down. Then you each flip a fourth card: you turn up the Q♣ and your opponent turns up the Q♥. Another tie, so it's a double war. Each of you puts three more cards face down and flips one more. This time you turn up a 7♠ and your opponent turns up the K♦. The king is higher, so your opponent takes everything on the table: the two 9s, the two queens, the 7 and the king, plus the 12 face-down cards. That's 2 + 8 + 8 = 18 cards. If you started that war with 26 cards, you now have 26 − 9 = 17, and your opponent has 35. Notice that the face-down cards never matter for deciding who wins; they're just the prize.

8House rules

The rules above are the version most US players use. These are the variations you are most likely to run into; settle them before the first deal.

One card down in a war: Bicycle and pagat.com both describe a war as one card face down and one face up, which wins 6 cards. Pagat.com notes that many people play three face down instead.
Short of cards in a war: Pagat.com gives two options: a player without enough cards to finish a war loses, or they turn their last card face up and it stands for them in that war.
Three or four players: Deal the deck evenly, everyone flips at once, and the highest card takes all. Only the tied players go to war. A player who runs out of cards drops out.
Time limit: Many families stop after 10 or 15 minutes and whoever holds more cards wins, since a full game can drag on.
Winnings pile: Instead of adding won cards to the bottom right away, put them in a separate face-down pile and shuffle it in when your main pile runs out.

9Mistakes people make

Aces are high in War. An ace beats a king, and a 2 is the lowest card.
In a war, the face-down cards don't count toward who wins. Only the new face-up cards are compared.
The winner of a war takes every card on the table, including the original tied pair.
Suits don't matter. Two cards of the same rank always tie, whatever their suits.

10Playing better

There's no strategy in standard War; the cards decide everything. Treat it as a game for passing time or teaching young kids card ranks.
To make it faster, set a time limit or play a fixed number of passes through your pile, then count cards.
Let young children compare the cards out loud. War is a good way to practice which number is bigger and that face cards rank above 10.
If you want choices, try the variant where you hold three cards and pick which one to play. Now you can save your aces for when you need them.

War: questions people ask

How many cards do you put down in War?: Most people put three cards face down and then one face up when there's a tie. Bicycle's printed rules and pagat.com use just one face-down card and one face-up card. Both work; the three-card version moves more cards per war and ends games faster. Agree on it before you start.
What happens if you run out of cards during a war?: The most common rule is that your last card is turned face up and stands for you in that war. Pagat.com also lists a stricter rule: if you can't complete the war, you lose the game. Families with young kids usually use the gentler rule so the game doesn't end on a technicality.
Are aces high or low in War?: Aces are high in War. The order from high to low is ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. Some families play aces low for young children, but Bicycle ranks the ace highest, and that's how most people play.
How long does a game of War take?: A full game of War can take anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour, because cards keep changing hands. Many families set a time limit, often 10 or 15 minutes, and the player with more cards when the timer goes off wins. The three-down war also speeds things up.
Can 3 people play War?: Yes. Deal the cards as evenly as you can, and everyone flips at once. The highest card wins all the cards played. If two or more players tie for the highest card, only they go to war. Anyone who runs out of cards is out, and the last player with cards wins.
Is there any skill in the card game War?: No. In standard War every move is forced, so the result depends entirely on how the cards were shuffled. That makes it a good first game for kids because nobody has an advantage. If you want some choice, play a variant where each player holds a few cards and picks one to play.
What happens when there's a tie in a war?: If the face-up cards in a war tie again, you have a double war. Each player puts down another set of face-down cards and flips another face-up card. The higher card takes everything on the table, which can be 18 or more cards with the three-down rule.

Sources

Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.

How to Play War, Bicycle Cards. Read September 28, 2026.
War, pagat.com. Read September 28, 2026.

Also on the table: Go Fish, Speed, Spit, Crazy Eights.