Surrender in Blackjack

What Is Surrender in Blackjack and Why Should You Use It?

Using basic strategy when you play blackjack will definitely lower the house edge and improve your chances of winning in the long run. That said, even when you know the optimal move for every hand and the dealer’s up-card, you are not guaranteed to win every time. Because luck also plays a major role in blackjack, you may sometimes be dealt a hand with extremely slim chances of success.

Luckily for players, some blackjack variations offer a feature known as “surrender”, allowing you to minimize your long-term losses. There are two variations of the surrender feature — early and late surrender — with the former giving players a greater advantage. If you want to learn more about this blackjack option and how you can use it to reduce long-term losses, we recommend you keep reading.

Overview

The surrender option in blackjack gives you the chance to forfeit half of your original bet and keep the rest if you are sure that your hand is bound to lose. In general, you can make this move immediately after you receive your first two cards, provided that you haven’t taken any other action such as hitting or standing.

To be able to surrender, the dealer’s up-card must be either a 10-valued card or an ace. Unlike the other moves in the game, surrender has no universal hand gesture. To indicate it, simply turn to the dealer and announce your intention clearly. Bear in mind that not all blackjack variations offer the surrender option. To find out whether it is possible to surrender at a given table, just ask the dealer.

Once you announce your intention to surrender, your cards are removed and the dealer collects half of your original bet. You keep the rest of your wager, but you forfeit the opportunity to play out the hand. Although it may seem odd to give up half of your bet without playing the hand, this move can actually be very beneficial in certain situations. When you have almost no realistic chance of winning, it is wiser to recover some of your money than to lose it all. In general, there are two types of surrender you can take advantage of.

Early Surrender

The first surrender option offered in some blackjack games is called early surrender. It allows you to forfeit the current round before the dealer checks for blackjack. Unfortunately, nowadays not many casinos offer this move because it can be very advantageous for players when used correctly. Calculations show that the early-surrender rule reduces the house edge by about 0.63% in six-deck games where the dealer stands on soft 17. If you find a blackjack variation that features early surrender, you need to know when to opt for this move.

If the dealer’s up-card is an ace and you have a hard total of twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen, it is best to make this move. If the dealer’s up-card is a ten and you have a hard total of fourteen, fifteen, or sixteen, it is also recommended to take advantage of it. Provided that the dealer’s up-card is an ace and your hand is a pair of 3s, 6s, 7s, or 8s, surrender is your best choice.

Late Surrender

The main difference between early and late surrender is that you can make the latter move after the dealer has checked for a blackjack. Of the two options, late surrender is more widespread and can be found in many variations of the game. This is not surprising, considering that the late-surrender rule has only a small impact on the house edge, reducing it by about 0.1%. Because multi-deck blackjack variations are the most common, we will discuss the situations in which it is best to surrender according to the total-dependent strategy.

If you play a variation in which the dealer stands on soft 17, you are advised to surrender when you hold a hard 15 and the dealer shows a ten. In a game where the dealer hits on soft 17, surrendering is the optimal move if the dealer’s up-card is an ace and you hold a hard 17 or a pair of 8s. If you have a hard 15 and the dealer’s up-card is either a ten or an ace, it is better to surrender. With a hard 16 against the dealer’s 9, 10, or an ace, it is always better to surrender regardless of whether the dealer stands or hits on soft 17.

When it’s Best to Surrender

As already mentioned, at some point during the game you might find yourself in a very unfavorable situation in which you are almost certain to lose the hand. If you are convinced that you have no chance of winning, you can give up your current hand and, in return, keep half of your original bet.

This move can be very beneficial only if you use it when it is really needed. Some players tend to apply a rather conservative approach and surrender when their odds are slightly unfavorable. As a result, they end up losing more in the long term as they voluntarily forfeit half of their bet for no reason.

Another situation in which you should consider surrendering is when you have a total of four, five, six, or seven in your hand and the dealer’s up-card is a face card, a ten, or an ace. It is obvious that in such cases the dealer’s position is strong, whereas yours is the exact opposite. It will be very hard to improve your hand with just one hit and beat the dealer’s total. Therefore, your best choice is to surrender and at least keep half of your original bet.

Further Thoughts

It is worth mentioning that the rules regarding the surrender option can vary depending on the blackjack version and the casino. Thus, it is always a good idea to double-check whether this move is available before joining a particular game. If you have decided to use a basic strategy that features the surrender option and you sit at a table that doesn’t offer this move, you won’t be able to implement your plan correctly.

In general, if the surrender option is permitted, the house edge drops. Even though at first glance this may seem like a very small reduction, remember that the overall house edge is the sum of the effects of every single rule. If you have the chance to make the game a bit more favorable, you should always try to do so.

Conclusion

In some blackjack variations, one of the moves you can make during the game is to surrender. In general, you should take advantage of this option when you are certain that your hand doesn’t stand a chance of beating the dealer’s total. By choosing to surrender, you give up your current hand along with half of your initial bet; in return, you keep the rest of your wager. This move can be very beneficial if you become familiar with all of the situations in which it is the best choice.

FAQ: Surrender in Blackjack