Blackjack Surrender

There are many options in the game of blackjack. To be a player that takes advantage of every opportunity in the game you have to know about all these options. One play that many new players don’t know much about is the surrender. This is an option that the player sometimes has early in the hand where they get the option to quit their hand and give up half of their wager without taking any more cards. The option to surrender may not always be offered in a game, so make sure you ask what the surrender situation is before you place your first bet on that table.

When the surrender is in play, it can take away some of the edge that the house will hold over the player. Every little edge that the player can enjoy increases their chances of winning, and properly utilizing the surrender will add to that. It’s not a play that’s recommended very often, and should only be employed in specific situations where it will be to your advantage. In most games the dealer will be allowed to look at their cards before the surrender option is available. If the dealer has blackjack your option to surrender will usually not be permitted.

When to surrender is simple enough to remember. The first thing to know is that whether the dealer hits on soft 17 or not will have no bearing on your surrender decisions. In an average game with six decks, where early surrender is permitted, it’s best to generally surrender all totals of 12 to 17 (including your pair of 6’s, 7’s, or 8’s) against a dealer’s ace. You can surrender totals of 14, 15, or 16 against a dealer’s 10-value card, and surrender your 16 to the dealer’s 9. Additionally, you should consider surrendering a pair of 3’s to the dealer’s ace. If the only option is late surrender, you should surrender your 15 totals to the dealer’s 10-value card, and you should surrender your 16 to the dealer’s 9 through ace.

Surrendering your hand is another small edge that you can add to your overall game to increase your chances of winning. Remember to ask the dealer about the surrender options in the game before you start to play; finding games with the surrender in play is becoming more and more difficult in live casinos, but they can be found online rather easily.