Statistics

Winning at War: Comparing Different Strategies in a Card Game

Authors: Hakon Olav Torvik
Comments: 6 Pages.

The card game "war" is a simple game usually assumed to not include any element of strategy, only luck. I challenge this notion by noticing that the order of placing cards back into the deck can be used as a strategy. I simulate the game with different strategies, and find that the strategies can significantly increase the chances of winning, but usually increase the time it takes to complete the game. This is however dependent on your opponent using specific strategies. The best advice on strategy seems to be tricking your opponent into following an ordered strategy, while you use a random strategy, a strategy some might object to.
Category: Statistics