Blackjack Surrender
Did you know that in Blackjack Surrender, you can get back half of your initial bet by giving up a hand? As strange as it may seem, too many blackjack players still do not make use of this option.
It must be said that there are few variants of blackjack to argue. We will now start the rules governing Blackjack Surrender and provide you with a list of online casinos that offer it.
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Some software developers, including Playtech, have already conceptualized an online version of Surrender blackjack. You will inevitably find it in most online casinos worthy of the name. The 6 or 8-game blackjack Surrender represents a perfect transposition of the version available in certain land-based casinos.
In addition to the rules that are significantly different from those of classic blackjack, Blackjack Surrender also offers you a great deal of weight: a house advantage of around 0.52%!
Blackjack Surrender summarized
- The surrender option is only available in certain variants of blackjack offered in land and virtual casinos;
- Withdrawal can benefit your ratings in certain circumstances;
- Blackjack Surrender will allow you to minimize your losses if the course of the game should turn against you;
- Making use of the surrender option will allow you to decrease the house advantage to 0.07 (depending on the rules established by the house);
- The surrender rule can be taken advantage of by card counters.
How to play Blackjack Surrender
Giving up is a decision the player may have to make in Blackjack Surrender games. This action is performed by players who prefer to give up their hand and lose half of their initial bet rather than stubbornly play their hand and lose their entire initial bet.
Indeed, in certain circumstances, it is better not to try the devil in desperate situations. Where most inexperienced blackjack players feel that giving up is a dodgy and disadvantageous decision, blackjack veterans will argue that this rule can potentially save a lot of money for blackjack prudent and wise players.
It is no coincidence that many blackjack enthusiasts are flocking to the variants of blackjack that authorize the use of the surrender rule.
Important point: you can only make this decision on your first two cards. You cannot give up your hand after you have drawn an additional card, doubled your bet, separated your cards, or camped on your positions.
Blackjack Surrender rules
- The dealer will not draw an additional card on a 17 point hand;
- You can only separate pairs once during a round;
- You can only draw one additional card after splitting a pair of aces;
- If you get a 10 point card after splitting your aces, your hand will be worth 21 points but will not be considered blackjack;
- The insurance rule applies if the dealer’s first card is an ace;
- Late surrender is allowed in Blackjack Surrender;
- The dealer must check if he has a blackjack;
- Blackjack is paid 3 to 2;
- It is possible to double your bets (‘Double Down’);
- A 7-card Charlie is the second most powerful hand in the game (after blackjack).
The ‘peek rule’
The ‘peek rule’ is quite common in the different variants of blackjack. It is, in any case, an essential component of blackjack Surrender. If the dealer’s visible card is an ace or a 10 card, the dealer (real or virtual) should take a look at his second card to see if he has a natural blackjack. If so, he automatically wins the game.The 7 Card Charlie
In Blackjack Surrender, there is a combination of cards that works well over all other card combinations (except natural blackjack). It is called the ‘Charlie with 7 cards’. As its name suggests, it consists of 7 cards whose cumulative value is less than or equal to 21 points.The split rule
If your first two cards have the same value, you can split them. If you decide to do so, you will need to play on two different hands and place a new bet (equivalent to your initial bet). This done, the dealer will distribute an additional card for each of your two hands. You can draw an additional card as many times as you like (as long as you never exceed 21 points). However, if you have split a pair of aces, you will only have one additional card for each of your hands.Doubling the stakes
If you think that by drawing a third card, you will have all the chances to beat the hand of the croupier, free to you to double your initial bet. If you click on the ‘Double Down’ button during the game, you will agree to place a new bet (equivalent to the amount of your initial bet) and will receive an additional card.The insurance rule
If the dealer’s visible card is an ace, you will be able to take out insurance in case he holds a natural blackjack. If you choose to take out blackjack insurance, you will need to place an amount equivalent to half of your initial bet on a separate table section. If the croupier has blackjack, your insurance will be paid 2 to 1. Obviously, if the croupier does not have blackjack, you will lose your insurance (the side bet).What is the difference between early and late surrender?
You will have the option to make a late surrender of your hand after the dealer has made sure that he does not have a natural blackjack. The late surrender rule is still available in most casinos and, if applied wisely, is particularly beneficial for the player.
Although the rule of late surrender is the most commonly applied on the different variants of blackjack Surrender, it is not impossible to also find certain versions that offer you early surrender. If so, this rule will allow you to give up your hand before the dealer even checks his hand to find out if he has a natural blackjack. Rarely offered by casinos because very disadvantageous for the house, the rule of early abandonment has been widely banned from most casinos.
Whether you play Blackjack Surrender in a land-based casino or in an online casino, the surrender rule will apply the same way. The only difference is that online blackjack, you only have to press a button to give up your hand. In land-based casinos, you will have to signal the dealer with your hand to tell him that you want to give up your hand.
To suggest a surrender to the dealer, you must draw a virtual line of fifteen centimeters with your index finger below the table section where you placed your bet. In other cases, you will just need to say the word ‘Surrender’. It all depends on the dealer you’re dealing with. Again, this manual gesture is only valid in land-based casinos since online casinos have a button provided for this purpose.
Strategic Tips for Blackjack Surrender
Although the option to surrender is one of the least popular decisions in casino blackjack games, it can still be useful in certain predefined situations. This maneuver is generally authorized in 15 to 20% of European land casinos. If you’ve ever played at a blackjack table offering this option, you may have realized its strategic value. If you want to use it, you might as well know how to do it expediently.
Is the surrender rule worth using?
You should only use the surrender rule if you hold a hand so weak that it is absolutely not worth fighting for. This is truly the only circumstance in which it is better to give up your hand. Conceding half of your initial bet on a hand that was doomed to fail from the start of the game is a sensible and reasonable strategic approach.
Imagine that your hand has less than 25% chance of defeating the dealer, would it be worth defending? No! Absolutely not! If you tried, you would have a good chance of losing your entire bet. It is, therefore, better to give up half of your bet rather than losing it entirely.
It is highly likely that you are wondering under what circumstances should the surrender rule be used. At first glance, it all depends on the number of decks of cards in the shoe and the decision the dealer will have to make on a 17-point hand. However, here are the right movements to execute depending on the scenario:
If the Surrender blackjack variant you are playing includes 6 decks of cards and the dealer must stay if he has a 17 point hand:
- Surrender if the dealer’s visible card is a 9, a 10, a log (valet, lady or king) or an ace and your hand includes a 9 and 7 or a 10 and 6;
- Surrender if the dealer’s visible card is a log (valet, lady or king) and you hold a hard hand (without an ace) of 15 points.
If the Surrender blackjack variant you are playing includes 6 decks of cards and the dealer can draw an additional card if he has a soft hand of 17 points:
- Surrender if the dealer’s visible card is a 9, a 10, a log (valet, queen or king) or an ace and you have a hard hand (without an ace) of 15 points;
- Surrender if the dealer’s visible card is an ace and you have a hand made up of a pair of 8s;
- Surrender if the dealer’s visible card is an ace and you have a 17-point hard hand.
In all other situations, drawing an additional card is the most profitable move in the long run.
Please note, however, that our strategy table does not take card counting into account. If you play Surrender blackjack counting cards drawn from the shoe, you will know exactly what to do at the right time. For example, if you feel that the shoe is filled with 10-point cards, it might be a good idea to surrender your hard hands of 15, 16, and 17 points if the dealer’s visible card is a 7, an 8, a 9 or 10.
Conversely, if you feel that the shoe is full of cards with low face values, it is better perhaps to defend your hand…
If you play blackjack based on the basic strategy, we advise you to surrender only in the rare situations provided for in the chart. If, on the other hand, you add the technique of card counting to the basic strategy, you will drastically increase your chances of winning.
Since card counting isn’t really an exact science, your instincts will surely guide you in the right direction. So if you trust your card counter skills, you will know better than anyone what decision to make at the right time.
Play Blackjack Surrender at an online casino!
Thanks to its surrender rule, the game of Blackjack Surrender will be a fun alternative to classic blackjack. Applied correctly, the surrender rule is of strategic interest for experienced players. Also, as soon as you learn to use it in appropriate circumstances, you can lower the odds in your favor and leave the casino with more money than at the start of the game.
Do you want to try? Register in one of our online casinos and put the odds on your side!
