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Surrender is one of the best-kept secrets in blackjack. When used correctly, it can reduce the house edge — by almost 25% in some cases. This means that you get to play longer and have a better chance of coming out a winner.
Who wouldn’t want the option to throw in the towel and only lose half their bet when they have a 16 and the dealer has a 10 showing?
What is Surrender in Blackjack?
Surrender is simply the option to throw away your hand and lose half your bet once you’ve seen your two cards and the dealer’s up card. If you don’t think you can win, you can use this option to cut your losses.
While not as widely available as it once was, you can still find it at most MGM properties and many top online casinos too. Even if used properly, it will shave off less than one-tenth of the house advantage.
Remember that in good double-deck games with good rules, the house only has a couple of tenths of a percent edge, and even in an eight-deck game, it’s less than half a percent. So, every tenth of a percentage helps.
Early Surrender
There are actually two different versions of blackjack surrender, but one turned out to be so lucrative for players that it literally went extinct.
Early surrender is/was an option in which you surrender your first two cards before the dealer checks for blackjack.
This was a thing in Atlantic City in the early 1980s, but instead of adding only a tenth of a percent or less, it added six-tenths of a percent, which was enough for even basic strategy players to beat the game.
The early surrender option was quietly pulled, only to be seen again in small, out-of-the-way casinos in the Caribbean and Europe.
Some online casinos have since brought it back, but the rules will always be changed in a way that makes it a sucker game that probably isn’t worth playing.
Late Surrender
The late blackjack surrender option is still around.
While it is not exactly going strong, you can find it if you look hard enough — even on the Vegas strip, where advantageous blackjack rules usually go to die.
Speaking of which, never play the 6/5 blackjack game, even if late surrender is offered. In this game, a blackjack is paid out at six to five odds instead of the usual three to two.
The house edge goes up almost a full percentage point, which means that the game is 2x to 5x worse than the 3/2 version, depending on the number of decks and other rules.
With late surrender in blackjack, we will have to wait until the dealer has peaked under their 10 or asked for insurance if they have an ace up before we can surrender.
But, as discussed, if played correctly it can make a big difference in our expected hourly loss rate by improving the standard blackjack odds.
When Should You Surrender in Blackjack?
It seems like a simple, straightforward question, but it can be complicated by the rules of the blackjack game you are playing and even the number of decks.
The most significant rule change affecting when you should surrender is whether the dealer hits a soft 17.
A soft 17 is an ace, a 6, or any two smaller cards that total 6 due to the ace being worth either 1 or 11. For instance, an A/6 is a soft 17, as is an A/4/2.
In a double-deck game, if the dealer hits a soft 17, you should surrender your 15 or 16 against either a 10 or an ace. This includes if you are dealt a pair of 8s.
You should also surrender any 17 against a dealer ace.
If the dealer hits a soft 17, you only surrender a 15 against a 10 and your 16 against an ace or face card. Stand on your 17 here and split your pair of 8s instead of surrendering.
In a six-deck game where the dealer stands on all 17s, you should give up your 16 against 9, 10, or ace-up cards, but still split 8s. Throw in your 15 against a dealer’s 10.
In a six-deck game where the dealer hits soft 17, you should still give up your 16 against a dealer 9, 10, or ace. However, don’t split the 8s now and surrender them instead.
With a 15, surrender against an ace or 10-value card, and surrender 17 against an ace for the dealer’s up card.
How to Signal Surrender
If you’ve learnt the basics of how to play blackjack at a casino, it’s now time to look more pro by using hand signals.
There are some regional differences in how you announce a surrender, though, so the safest method might be to announce to your dealer that you would like to surrender and have them show you the proper technique.
However, in most casinos in the US, the hand motion for surrender in blackjack is drawing a horizontal line behind the bet without ever covering or touching it.
If you are playing a hand-held game, you can just set your cards down next to your bet.
As we mentioned, many top blackjack online casinos offer surrender. In this case, a button will be near where you hit or stand to signal your intent to surrender.
Surrender in Online Blackjack
There are several different variations of surrender available at online casinos.
Since they have lower overheads and don’t need to pay an actual blackjack dealer — well, unless you’re playing at live dealer blackjack sites — or build a $3 billion neon palace, late surrender is actually quite common.
Be aware of any online casinos or top blackjack apps offering “Early Surrender.” They may require you to play terrible side bets or have tweaked the other rules.
They may only pay 6/5 on blackjack, which puts you at an extreme disadvantage, even with the 0.6% edge from early surrender.
They are just hoping that the “Early Surrender” term will catch your eye.
Conclusion
While it may not seem like it gets used much, the late surrender option can make a big difference to the house edge and save you money, especially over time.
You can easily memorize the simple rules, or even better, just print out the correct basic strategy card for the number of decks and the specific rules you will be playing against. You’ll be sure to play your hand correctly every time.
While we have focused this more on new players, it’s important to realize that surrender is a very important option for card counters. You can learn how to count cards by reading our guide if you’re unfamiliar.
Because a counter bets more when the number of 10 and aces increases, it only stands to reason that many times, when they have large bets out, a dealer will turn up a 10 or ace as an upcard.
The ability to lose only half your wager when faced with these situations means that games that offer surrender are an outsized opportunity, especially if you take the time to learn the deviations from basic blackjack strategy at various true counts.
