Blackjack Surrender Strategy
Let’s face it, sometimes we are just having an off day, with bad hand after bad hand. And sometimes, surrendering is our best bet; an occasionally viable tactic in games of blackjack which allow the player to do so. Surrendering, as we explain in our glossary of blackjack terms, refers to the offer in some games styles of blackjack (mainly American versions) which allows players to forfeit their hand in the current round and get back half of their original wager. The option to do so is offered by some land-based casinos, and the majority of online casinos.
For the non-card counter, even the perfect basic strategy player, surrender has very little to offer, less than one tenth of 1% for perfect surrender decisions. Interpolating from Peter Griffin's Theory of Blackjack, the basic strategy value of surrender goes up as more decks are added. Rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent, these are. Blackjack basic strategy is a set of rules and guidelines which allow you to maximize your winning odds. It is very hard, if not impossible, to make a profit playing Blackjack, especially in the long term, if you’re not employing the basic strategy. The best strategy for playing Blackjack Surrender with a house edge of 0.38%, 6 decks and a dealer who stands at soft 17 is to know all of your possibilities and know when to surrender. Surrendering is advisable only when you hold a hard 16 and the dealer has 9, 10 or Ace. In a game that features the ' surrender ' option, the player can fold a blackjack hand before drawing new cards. When a player chooses to surrender, half of the original bet is returned to the.
If you have a hard hand of 14 and the dealer has an Ace on show, surrendering in order to retrieve half of your bet instead of quite possibly losing it all can be appropriate. Surrendering is a feasible option if you are dealt a poor hand and the dealer has a strong hand, but it has to be used in the right situation. Otherwise, it’s money down the drain that could have won.
Available Surrendering Options
Improving your understanding of blackjack surrender rules means improving your overall game strategy. Some blackjack games allow players the option of giving up (or “surrendering”) their hands right after the initial deal is complete, for the cost of half of their ante bet.
Surrendering is only available as a first decision of a two-card hand. It is usually only offered in hole-card games (but see below for variations), where the dealer draws two cards and may or may not peek at the hole (face down card), before players make their decisions. But in general, surrendering will usually only be available directly after the dealer has checked for blackjack.
The variations we speak of are early and late surrender. Late surrender, explained above, refers to being able to do so in hole card games, only after the dealer has checked for a blackjack. It is the most common option at all types of casinos. If the dealer checks and does indeed have a blackjack, surrendering is thus made unavailable.
Alternatively, early surrender is when you are allowed to surrender before the dealer checks (or if the dealer doesn’t check at all) for blackjack in hole-card games, or in a no-hole-card game, where the dealer does not draw a second card until all players have acted. As you can see, early surrender is significantly more favourable to the player than late surrender is, which is why early surrender is not often available.
When to Consider the Move
As mentioned above, surrendering can be an appropriate play if used at the right time. It may seem like a cowardly move which is not progressive or beneficial in the long-run, and it is if not used correctly: you’re wasting hands that have the potential to win. Only consider surrendering as a last possible resort on the very worst hands.
There are only a few hands in which surrendering can be considered (late surrender). If you are lucky enough to be playing with the rare early surrender option, this allows for more flexibility and you might consider surrendering medium to low strength hands if the dealer holds an Ace (and the hole-card has not yet been examined).
Poor Hands to Consider for Early Surrender
- You hold a total of 12 to 17 against a dealer’s Ace.
- You hold a total of five to seven against a dealer’s Ace.
- You hold a total of 14 to 16 and the dealer has a Ten.
- You hold a total of 16 and the dealer shows a Nine.
Poor Hands to Consider for Late Surrender
- Your hand totals a hard-15 and the dealer holds a 10-valued card or an Ace.
- Your hand totals a hard-16 and the dealer holds a Nine, 10-valued card or Ace.
- Your hand totals a hard-17 and the dealer holds an Ace.
How to Surrender in Blackjack
At most land-based casinos, BJ tables will have rules on a placard for players to view, but it is still worth confirming with the dealer before playing, just to make be certain surrendering (or any other option for that matter) is available. Online casinos will typically label each game with the available options which can be checked before, during and after play.
To surrender at an online table, click the corresponding surrender button. To do so at a land-based BJ table, wait until you have the dealer’s attention after receiving your cards, and verbalise your intentions (with a possible follow-up hand signal). There is no standard hand signal for surrendering, but players will usually move a finger from right to left on the table above their cards (drawing an imaginary line). We suggest making your surrendering intentions clear by first saying so, because signalling a surrender with your hands can be sometimes be misinterpreted as a hit, so verbalisation is really the best way to go.
Once recognised, the dealer will remove your cards from the table, take half your bet and return the other half to you. Essentially, you have forfeited the opportunity to play out your hand and the casino keeps half of your bet while the other half acts as a push/stand-off/tie; whatever you want to call it.
Table Of Contents
The 'surrender bet' in blackjack is one of the least known moves in the game.
Available only in the blackjack surrender variant, this move let you save half of your bet by folding your hand before it meets that of the dealer.
In this beginner's guide to blackjack surrender, you'll learn:
- what is surrender in blackjack
- the rules of blackjack surrender
- when you surrender in blackjack
- and a lot more.
In other words, if you are looking for an all-in-one guide to blackjack surrender, you'll love this one.
Blackjack Surrender
If you've seen the table games section of at least one of these online casinos, you know there are countless blackjack variants online.
Blackjack surrender is one of them.
When it comes to this game, there are two schools of thought:
- Some players think blackjack surrender is a game for quitters
- Others consider it the best blackjack variant out there.
I lean toward the latter as I find blackjack surrender to be a great game.
Thanks to the reduced house edge (which comes from the possibility to surrender early), this variant of the game attracts smart players who like real money blackjack online and take things seriously.
When there's money involved, it's good to have the chance to quit before it's too late.
What is Surrender in Blackjack?
In a game that features the 'surrender' option, the player can fold a blackjack hand before drawing new cards.
When a player chooses to surrender, half of the original bet is returned to the stack, and half is forfeited to the dealer.
In a game of live blackjack, a player needs to swipe a finger behind the bet to indicate the intention to surrender and recoup half of it.
In online play, blackjack surrender games feature an extra button to call this special feature.
How to Play Blackjack Surrender?
If you know how to play blackjack, you know how to play blackjack surrender, too.
The rules of this game follow the same basic rules of 21.
In addition to knowing when to hit, stand, and split - to win at this game you need to know when it's the best time to surrender and forfeit your hand before you hand your bet to the casino.
A game of blackjack surrender gives you two options:
1. Early Surrender
The early surrender option allows you to quit the hand and pay only 1/2 of your initial bet before the dealer checks for a blackjack. This option is the best one for players, as the chance to use an early surrender reduces the game's house advantage by 0.62 per cent.
2. Late Surrender
The late surrender one, let you do the same only after the dealer turns their cards. In this case, you get to take half of your bet back only if the dealer's hand is not a blackjack.
When to Surrender in Blackjack?
To win at blackjack surrender, you need to know when it's the best time to surrender in a game of blackjack. And if you are new to this, it might not be obvious.
In short, you should surrender every time the odds are clearly against you.
The best times to surrender in blackjack are:
| Situation | Your hand | Dealer's card |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | 16 | 9, 10, ace |
| #2 | 15 | 10 |
In the first case, you should not surrender when you get two cards of the value of eight. If this happens, you have more chances to win if you split them into two separate hands and continue to play.
Blackjack Surrender Online
All the sites in the list below offer games of blackjack surrender online for free and for real money.
Most of them feature only the late surrender option, so they are not ideal choices. The top three, however, are those where you get the best winning odds, since you have also the early surrender option.
Blackjack Basic Strategy Surrender
All sites offer a welcome bonus on signup. You can use it to play blackjack surrender if this is the first time you play games there.
Frequently Asked Questions
In some circumstances, as when the odds are clearly not in your favour, surrender your blackjack hand is the best choice. To find all the combinations when surrender is the best move, check out this table.
The surrender move is not featured on all blackjack tables. If you want to use it to lower the casino advantage, ask the casino staff to direct you to the 'blackjack surrender' games.
To show the dealer that you intend to 'surrender,' you need to run your index finger behind the bet you placed on the blackjack table.
Blackjack Basic Strategy Chart Surrender
Yes. All these sites offer games of blackjack surrender online.
Blackjack Strategy Surrender
Want to know more about blackjack? Check out these articles!