Surrender in Blackjack

In Blackjack, there will inevitably be times when you are not doing so well and when you do not wish to place a bet. The Surrender option is designed for these times and it allows you to forfeit a round if you feel that your cards are not good and that you would rather fold.

Best Blackjack Casinos

RankBrandUS Visit Casino Bonus Min. Deposit Deposit Time Withdrawal Time Software
Europa Casino Visit Now $2400 $/€/£20 Instant 3-5 business days Playtech
WinPalace Casino Visit Now $1000 $/€/£20 Instant 3-5 business days RTG
Jackpot City Casino Visit Now $500 $/€/£20 Instant 3-5 business days Microgaming
Rushmore Casino Visit Now $888 $/€/£20 Instant 3-5 business days RTG
Casino Action Visit Now $1250 $/€/£20 Instant 3-4 business days Microgaming
Pure Vegas Casino Visit Now $2400 $/€/£20 Instant 3-5 business days RTG
32Red Casino Visit Now $/€320 $/€/£20 Instant 3-4 business days Playtech
Casino Tropez Visit Now $/€3000 $/€/£20 Instant 3-4 business days Playtech
Casino Kingdom Visit Now $77 free $/€/£20 Instant 3-4 business days Microgaming
Titan Casino Visit Now $4000 $/€/£20 Instant 3-4 business days Playtech

You can only take advantage of Surrender after you have been dealt your first two cards - it cannot be used if you went on and made the decision to hit or stand. You must indicate your intent to Surrender by using a hand signal that consists of placing your finger on the table and sliding it to the left or by telling the dealer.

Once you take the Surrender option, your cards are removed and half of your bet goes to the dealer. In short, you have forfeited your opportunity to play the hand and the casino keeps half of your bet. Now, while it may seem odd to sacrifice half of your bet, you can actually profit from it because it is only logical to save half of your bet than to risk losing it all.

Surrender is divided into two types:

Early Surrender

This option is available to online versions of Blackjack and it is less often offered at a casino table although it can be. Either ask the dealer or look for a placard near the Blackjack table if in doubt. With Early Surrender, you have to make the decision to surrender prior to the dealer looking at his cards, regardless if he has the chance to achieve a blackjack.

Late Surrender

This is where the dealer has the chance to check to see if he has blackjack before you are allowed to take the Surrender option. Most online Blackjack tables support late surrender.

Concerning when to Surrender and when not to, let's consider what the odds are of winning one of the less attractive hands you can get in Blackjack - a 16 - when the dealer has shown his up card to be a 10. Most all Blackjack software programs will tell you that you will not win around 77% of these hands when you hit, meaning that you will only win 23% of the time. If you bet one dollar a hand, and lose 77 hands and win 23, you would be down $54. If you stand you will do just as poorly.

However, if you Surrender and do it for over 100 hands, you will lose $50. Compared to $54, you are cutting your losses by $4 when using the Surrender option.

Learn how to play pairs in blackjack.

Related Articles

On CasinoGamesPro.com you can learn how to play online and practise some of the most popular casino games like: Slot Machines, Baccarat, Blackjack, Craps, Poker and Roulette.