Australian Capital Territory

Casino Control (Casino War) 
Approval 2006 (No 1)
Notifiable Instrument NI2006—386
made under the
Casino Control Act 2006, section 96 (Rules for Authorised Games).

1	Name of instrument
	This instrument is the Casino Control (Casino War) Approval 2006 (No 1).

2	Commencement
	This instrument commences 1 November 2006.

3	Approval
	I approve the rules for the Authorised Game of “Casino War” as set out 
 	in the attached schedule.

Des McKee
Manager Gaming Regulation
ACT Gambling and Racing Commission 
24 October 2006

CASINO CANBERRA LIMITED

RULES OF

CASINO WAR

CASINO WAR INDEX

A       	DICTIONARY OF TERMS USED IN CASINO WAR	3

B.	RULES OF CASINO WAR						   	   5
1.	CASINO WAR TABLE	5
2.	CARDS	5
3.	MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM WAGERS	5
4.	WAGERS	6
5.	SHUFFLE AND CUT OF CARDS	7
6.	INITIAL DEAL	7
7.	INTERIM SETTLEMENT	8
8.	GO TO WAR	8
9.	SETTLEMENT	9
10.	IRREGULARITIES	10
11.	TABLE CLOSURE	10
12.	GENERAL PROVISIONS	11

A.	DICTIONARY OF TERMS USED IN CASINO WAR

(nb. Terms defined in the dictionary are underlined throughout this document)

Approved
Means approved in writing by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission.

Box
An area marked by a figure of geometric form or other graphic image on the table layout in which a player is to place a wager.  

Burn
The removal of a card from play by placing it in the discard rack.

Casino Operator
The organisation or person responsible for the conduct of gaming in the casino.

Casino Supervisor
A person responsible for the supervision of the operation of the game.

Casino War Wager
A wager placed by a player prior to any cards being dealt for a round of play.

Dealer
A person responsible for the operation of the game.

Float
The chip inventory issued to a gaming table.

Go to War
Means when the player and the dealer have both been dealt an initial card of the same rank and the player elects to continue in the game.

Go to War Wager
Is the additional wager required when a player elects to continue in the game and go to war by placing a wager of an amount equal to his/her casino war wager.

New shoe
Occurs when all cards are shuffled, then cut and put into the shoe.

Round of play
That part of the game that commences when a card is first removed from the shoe and concludes when all cards are collected and placed in the discard rack.

Shoe
An approved container from which the dealer deals the cards.

Stand off
A wager that neither the player nor the dealer wins.

Surrender
When the player and the dealer have both been dealt an initial card of the same rank and the player elects to forfeit half his/her wager.

Tie wager
A wager placed by a player prior to any cards being dealt for a round of play which will win when both the player and the dealer have been dealt an initial card of the same rank.

Void
Neither the player nor the dealer wins and any chips wagered or paid shall be returned as if the round of play had never occurred.

B.	RULES OF CASINO WAR

1.	CASINO WAR TABLE

1.1	A Casino War table layout shall be approved prior to use.

2.	CARDS

2.1	Casino War shall be played with six to eight decks with each deck consisting of 52 cards, without jokers.

2.2	The cards shall be checked one by one, by the dealer prior to the commencement of gaming and at or after the conclusion of gaming.

2.3	Before the start of a round of play, the casino operator shall determine:
(a)	the number of decks of cards; and 
(b)	the approved shuffle, as set out in the approved procedures.

2.4	If requested by a player, the dealer is to advise players of the determinations.

2.5	The casino operator may change a marked or damaged card at any time and may change all of the cards after any round of play. The casino supervisor and dealer shall check each replacement card prior to its introduction to play.

2.6	All suits have the same rank. The rank of cards from highest to lowest is:	
Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.

3.	MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM WAGERS

3.1	The casino operator shall display the minimum and maximum wagers per box on a sign at or near the table and may change these limits provided that prior notice of the change is given to the players.

3.2	The casino operator may allow a player to wager in excess of the stated box maximum provided that a marker denoting the new limit is placed adjacent to the box.

3.3	The multiples of wagers permitted shall be displayed at the table.

3.4	Wagers below the minimum shall be paid or collected and the owner of the wager shall be advised that further wagers under the minimum will not be accepted.

3.5	Wagers above the displayed maximum shall be paid or collected only to the maximum.
4.	WAGERS

4.1	Prior to the first card of a round of play being dealt, each player shall be given the opportunity to place a tie wager, casino war wager or both.  
A player who has placed a casino war wager shall have preference for a tie wager over a player who has not placed a casino war wager.

4.2	All wagers shall be made by placing gaming chips in the box.

4.3	Once the first card has been dealt, no player shall handle, remove or alter the original wager, or place an additional wager until a decision has been rendered and implemented on that wager other than as provided for in Rules 7 & 8.

4.4	A maximum of three players may wager on the one box.

4.5	After the initial deal, where a player’s card has the same rank as the dealer’s card he/she may elect to continue in the game and go to war by placing a go to war wager on the layout beside his/her casino war wager or surrender half his/her casino war wager.

4.6	A player’s casino war wager will:

(a)	win if the first card dealt to the player has a higher rank than the first card dealt to the dealer;
(b)	lose if the first card dealt to the dealer has a higher rank than the first card dealt to the player;
(c)	win where the player has elected to go to war and has been dealt a second card with the same rank as the dealer’s second card;
(d)	stand off where the player has elected to go to war and has been dealt a second card with a higher rank than the dealer’s second card; or
(e)	lose where the player has elected to go to war and has been dealt a second card with a lower rank than the dealer’s second card.

4.7	Where a player elects to go to war, his/her go to war wager will:

(a)	win if the second card dealt to him/her has a higher rank than the second card dealt to the dealer;
(b)	win if the second card dealt to him/her has the same rank as the second card dealt to the dealer; or
(c)	lose if the second card dealt to the dealer has a higher rank than the second card dealt to the player.

4.8	A tie wager will win if the first card dealt to the dealer and the first card dealt to the player has the same rank.

4.9	If a new maximum limit is allocated to a box in accordance with Rule 3.2, any other player may wager on that box provided the total of all wagers does not exceed the stated box maximum.

5.	SHUFFLE AND CUT OF CARDS

5.1	The dealer shall shuffle the cards in preparation for each new shoe.

5.2	After the shuffle the cards will be offered to a player to be cut. The player will be, in order of preference:

(a)	the first player to the table;
(b)	the player on whose box the cutting card appeared during the last round of play;
(c)	the player at the farthest point to the right of the dealer, if the cutting card appeared on the dealer’s hand during the last round of play;
(d)	the player who first accepts the dealer’s offer, each player being individually asked in a clockwise order if or until an acceptance is made; or
(e)	if no player wishes to cut, a casino supervisor will cut the cards.

5.3	The person designated in Rule 5.2 shall cut the cards by placing a cutting card at least one deck in from either end.  Once the cutting card has been inserted the dealer shall take all cards in front of the cutting card and place them at the back of the stack.  The dealer shall then insert the cutting card in a position at least one deck in from the back of the stack and no more than approximately half the number of decks in play from the back of the stack.

5.4	The cards shall be shuffled:

(a)	when the cutting card is drawn as the first card of a new round of play; or
(b)	at the end of a round of play if the cutting card is drawn during that round of play.

5.5	If a cutting card is reached during the final three rounds of play it shall be discarded and the dealer shall continue dealing until the final hand has been completed.

6.	INITIAL DEAL

6.1	All cards shall be dealt face up from the shoe.

6.2	The dealer shall announce “NO MORE BETS”. Then starting from the first box containing a casino war wager and/or tie wager shall, in a clockwise direction around the table, deal the cards in the following manner:

(a)	one card to each box; and
(b)	one card to the dealer.

7.	INTERIM SETTLEMENT

7.1	An interim settlement shall occur on completion of the initial deal and before any subsequent deal.

7.2	Commencing from the box furthermost to the right, the dealer shall:

(a)	take all losing tie wagers and:
(b)	pay all winning tie wagers in accordance with Rules 4.8 & 9.

7.3	Once all tie wagers have been acted upon the dealer will act on all casino war wagers commencing from the active box furthermost to the right of the dealer.  The dealer will:

(a)	take all losing casino war wagers; and
(b)	pay all winning casino war wagers; and
(c)	in accordance with Rule 8, offer players who have a card of the same rank as the dealer the option to surrender half their casino war wager or go to war.

7.4	A player who does not place a go to war wager after having been offered the opportunity to do so by the dealer in accordance with rule 7.3(c), will be deemed to have surrendered half their casino war wager.

8.	GO TO WAR

8.1	If a player elects to go to war he/she will place a go to war wager on the layout beside his/her casino war wager.

8.2	The decisions of other players wagering on the same box will have no bearing on the entitlement of a player to surrender or go to war.

8.3	Once the dealer has settled all wagers as described in Rule 7 and acknowledged the decisions of all players who have elected to go to war, the dealer will commencing from the left and continuing clockwise around the table:

(a)	deal one card in sequence to each box where a go to war wager has been placed; and then
(b)	deal one card to the dealer’s position.

8.4	The dealer will settle all remaining casino war wagers and all go to war wagers in accordance with Rule 9.

9.	SETTLEMENT

9.1	The wagers which can be placed in respect of an individual round of play and the odds payable for winning wagers placed on them are described in the table below.

NAME	DESCRIPTION	Payout odds	
	Player’s first card has a higher rank than the dealer’s first card.
	
1 to 1	
Casino War Wager	Player elects to go to war and is dealt a second card with the same rank as the second card to the dealer
	
1 to 1	
	Player elects to go to war and is dealt a second card with a higher rank than the second card dealt to the dealer
	
stand off	
Go to War      Wager          	Player elects to go to war and is dealt a second card with a higher rank than the dealer’s second card
	
1 to 1	
                     	Player elects to go to war and is dealt a second card with the same rank as the dealer’s second card
	
1 to 1
	
Tie Wager	The players first card has the same rank as the dealer’s first card
	
10 to 1	

10.	IRREGULARITIES

10.1	A card found face up in the shoe shall be burnt.

10.2	A card drawn in error, whether or not its face has been exposed, shall be used as though it were the next card from the shoe, except if the card drawn is burnt in error, in which case it shall remain discarded and shall not be used. Any cards drawn in excess and not used by the completion of that round of play shall be burnt.

10.3	A card drawn to the dealer’s hand not in accordance to Rule 6 shall be burnt.

10.4	If during a round of play an error of card placement is detected, that hand shall be reconstructed in accordance with these rules.

10.5 	If an error of card placement is detected to have occurred in a round of play after the next round of play has commenced, the round of play in which the error occurred and any subsequent rounds of play that have commenced shall be regarded as having been validly played.

10.6	If there are insufficient cards remaining in the shoe to complete a round of play, all the cards in the discard rack shall be shuffled and cut in accordance with these rules and dealt to complete the round of play.

10.7	If a player is not present to render a decision to go to war they will be deemed to have surrendered half their wager.

10.8	If it is detected that the dealer has continued dealing after the cutting card has been drawn, any round of play so dealt shall stand and if a round of play is in progress, it shall continue until it is concluded.

10.9	If a player is not given the option to go to war or surrender or the dealer fails to act on a player’s decision any subsequent cards dealt in the same round of play shall be reconstructed back to that stage of play.

11.	TABLE CLOSURE

11.1	The hours of gaming shall be as determined under the provisions of the Casino Control Act 2006.

11.2	Subject to Rule 11.1, the casino operator may close any table before the close of gaming provided that notice is given to the players.

12.	GENERAL PROVISIONS

12.1	The casino operator may invalidate the outcome of a game if the game is disrupted by civil commotion, fire, riot, brawl, robbery, or any like disturbance.

12.2	Where a person has contravened any provision of these rules, the casino operator may:

(a)	declare that any wager made by a player to be void: and
(b)	direct that the player be excluded from further participation in the game.

12.3	The casino operator may declare a round of play to be void if it is impractical to continue or a person commits a fraudulent act that affects the outcome for that particular round of play.

12.4	The casino operator’s decision in any dispute arising from these rules is final, subject to a review by the ACT Gambling and Racing Commission if requested.

12.5	An employee of the casino shall:

(a)	not advise a player on how to play his/her hand, except to ensure compliance with these rules;
(b)	not give or allow any advantage to a person, or cause or allow a change in any probabilities of the game by any means other than that covered by these rules; and
(c)	commensurate with their responsibilities, ensure that the game is conducted in accordance with the approved procedures.

12.6	A seated player who abstains from wagering for three consecutive rounds of play whilst all other seats at that table are in use may be required to vacate that seat.

12.7	A person shall not instruct or influence another player’s decision of play.

12.8	Players are not permitted to have side bets with each other.

12.9	Upon request the casino operator shall make a copy of these rules available.