Surrender in Blackjack is an action that you can take whilst playing suitable variants of the game. Used correctly, this option allows you to prolong your gaming session by extending your bankroll.
In this guide, we’ll explain what is surrender in Blackjack and when you should use this action. We’ve also explained the rules of surrender and which online games offer this option in the first place.
What is Surrender in Blackjack?
Surrender is an optional action that you can take whilst playing particular Blackjack variants. By taking this action, you will forfeit half your bet. You can decide whether to surrender or continue playing once you’ve seen your first two cards and the dealer’s face-up card.
There are actually two types of surrender in Blackjack, namely early and late. We will explain the differences between the two in the sections below.
Differences Between Early and Late Surrender in Blackjack
The two types of surrender options can result in very different results. Below, we’ve explored the differences between them.
Early Surrender
With this optional action, you can surrender 50% of your wager prior to the dealer’s checking his or her hold card. By doing this, you could avoid losing against a dealer’s face-up card when this is an Ace. As a result, having the option to surrender early significantly affects the overall house edge. This equates, on average, to a reduction of up to 0.6% on the house’s 2% edge.
This version of surrender in Blackjack was born in Atlantic City during the 1970s. Somewhat surprisingly, it was the Casino Control Commission’s idea to offer more liberal rules in the hope of attracting more players to land-based casinos. However, it was not long before the rules were tweaked since casino operators were exposed to the potential of severe losses.
Late Surrender
You’ve probably already figured out what late surrender in Blackjack means. You can surrender late when you decide to give up half your bet after the dealer has checked his or her face-down card. This means that you can only surrender late if the dealer does not have a Blackjack. This also reduces the house edge reduction to a mere 0.1% or even 0.05%.
Nevertheless, you should not discount surrendering late. Used correctly, this strategy could still have an impact on your performance over several rounds.
Handy Tip:
If you’re wondering when to surrender in Blackjack, you should consider the 50% rule of thumb. Most pros agree that if you’ve got less than a 50% chance of beating the dealer, you should definitely consider surrendering and moving on to the next round.
When to Surrender in Blackjack
There is no guarantee that using a Blackjack surrender strategy is the right choice. You can never know with certainty what the dealer’s face-down card is or what’s waiting in the deck should you hit or stand rather than surrender. However, there are a few specific instances when surrendering is probably a good action.
When Should You Surrender Early?
You should consider surrendering early if your cards combine to a value of between 14 and 16 and the dealer’s face-up card has a value of 10. Remember that all face cards also have a value of 10 in Blackjack.
Many experienced players also believe that you should surrender early if the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace and you’ve got anything between 5 to 7, or 12 to 17. However, you should not surrender if you’ve also got an Ace.
An early surrender might also be necessary if the dealer has a soft 17 and you’ve got a hard 4. As we explain in our Blackjack rules guide, a soft hand is one that includes an Ace while a hard hand is one that does not.
When Should You Surrender Late?
It’s generally a good idea to surrender late when the dealer’s face-up card is a 9 and you’re holding a 16. This rule, however, is only applicable in games with four or more decks. As we explain in our Blackjack card counting guide, the number of decks in use can considerably change the outcome of the game.
You should also consider a late surrender if the dealer has a face-up card with a value of 10 and you hold a 16. Moreover, if you’re not playing Single Deck Blackjack, you should also surrender if you’re holding a 15.
The blackjack surrender strategy gets somewhat more complex when the dealer is holding an Ace. For example, if the dealer is required to stand on both hard and soft 17, you should always surrender with a hand of 16. However, if the dealer must hit on a soft 17, you should surrender late with a hand of 15, 16, and 17.
How to Surrender in Blackjack?
The best online Blackjack casinos provide a variety of games that include the surrender option. You can find the exact rules of when and how to use this option in the game’s menu. Below, we’ve outlined the basic steps that you’d need to follow.
Step 1: Place a Bet
Every new game of Blackjack beings with your wager. Most games let you bet between $1 and $500, but you will also find high roller tables that accept bets of $5,000 or more.
Step 2: View Your Cards
Once betting time is over, you will receive two cards facing up. You will also be able to see one of the dealer’s cards, but not the other.
Step 3: Should You Surrender?
Using our Blackjack chart and your own experience, you should determine whether you should surrender or keep playing. If you decide to surrender, you can click on the appropriate button on the graphic interface.
FAQs About Surrender in Blackjack
Is it good to surrender in blackjack?
Do casinos allow surrender in blackjack?
Do you surrender on 16?
Should you split or surrender in blackjack?
What is the Blackjack surrender rule?
What’s a Blackjack Surrender Hand Signal?
Now that you know what happens when you surrender in Blackjack, let’s explain how this action is taken during in-person games. It’s important to understand that since land-based casinos are not big fans of this feature, they rarely advertise it. If you’re at a land-based facility, you should ask the dealer if any surrender option is available at the table.
When you join a Blackjack table that offers the surrender option, it’s important to know the proper hand signal to use. The main type of hand signal that means surrender is using your index finger to draw an imaginary horizontal line behind your wager. At some tables, you might also be asked to announce your intention to surrender.
This hand signal is common in Blackjack games that are dealt out of a shoe. The rules and signals for other types of land-based games can vary.
Handy Tip:
When you’re checking on the surrender option at a land-based casino Blackjack table you should check whether both early and late options are available. You should also confirm the rules of either option as these may change from my establishment to another.
Advanced Blackjack Surrender Strategy
So far in this guide, we’ve referred to total dependent rules. This means that we’ve considered the total value of your hand, not the individual cards that make it. However, by understanding composition value strategies, you can get gain an additional small advantage which can reduce the house edge even further.
One of the main examples of composition surrender in a single-deck game is forfeiting half your wager when you’re holding a 9 and 6, but playing on with an 8 and 7.
Handy Tip:
A seamless composition dependent strategy can reduce the house edge by a further 0.5%. However, this strategy involves so many exceptions that most players prefer to ignore it and focus on the simpler, dependent strategy instead.