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4/2/2022

The surrender rule is one that many blackjack players will already know about, but there are some specific Blackjack Surrender rules that may not be so familiar. Surrender is a maneuver that’s available in a few types of variants of Blackjack which are found at both online casinos as well as brick-and-mortar casinos in Vegas, Atlantic City and other gambling meccas around the globe. Typically, the move is exercised when players feel that they have a hand which will not be worth playing out. Late surrender, a more common rule at a variety of blackjack tables, means that you can surrender your hand and lose half your bet only after the dealer checks for blackjack. The ideal blackjack. Surrender is an optional blackjack move provided by some online casinos. When players surrender, they get half of their bet and the casino gets to keep the other half. Players are done with that hand and don’t play it.

Blackjack Surrender enjoys great popularity online because of its favourable rules and relatively low house edge. In this review, we’ll take a detailed look at the game and we’ll provide you with the basic strategy that will bring you optimal results, so make sure you read on.

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The name of Blackjack Surrender derives from the game option ‘surrender’ which allows the players to give up their hand before the dealer reveals the face-down card. If such case, they get half their bet back. This is actually a quite advantageous option as it decreases the house edge with around 0.08%. Below you can see a quick overview of the rules of the game.

  • Basic Game Rules
  • Return to Player: 99.62% Blackjack pays: 3 to 2
  • Decks: 6
  • Insurance: yes
  • Multihand: yes
  • Side bets: no
  • Surrender: yes
  • Split and Double Rules
  • Split: any pair
  • Resplit: no
  • Double: any two cards
  • Double after split: yes
  • Hit split aces: no
  • Dealer Rules
  • Stands: on soft 17
  • Peeks for Blackjack: yes
  • Special Game Rules: The player can play up to five hands at a time. Only late surrender allowed.
  • Bonus:100% up to £150
  • Bonus code:not required
  • Wagering contribution:20%
  • Software:Playtech
  • Link:Try now at William Hill

Note that in this review we’ll talk only about the Blackjack Surrender variation which is developed by Playtech, as it is the most popular one. There’s also a Blackjack Surrender game offered by Real Time Gaming but it’s really rare to stumble upon it, so we’ve decided not to cover it in this article.

Rules of the Game

Your goal in Blackjack Surrender, as in any other blackjack game, is to have a better hand than the dealer. That means having a higher hand total without going over 21. If you go over 21, you lose your bet. All the cards count as their natural numbers, all face cards count as 10 and the ace counts as 1 or 11, whichever is more suitable for the player.

The Playtech version of the game is played on a virtual table where there are five betting boxes, given that you can play up to 5 hands at a time. As you can see in the screenshot below, the table also features information about the rules of the game. As in most blackjack variations, here a natural blackjack (an ace and a 10-valued card) pays 3 to 2, insurance pays 2 to 1 and the dealer stands on 17, including on a soft 17 (an ace and a 6).

The game begins after you’ve placed your bet and hit the ‘Deal’ button. You’ll be dealt two face-up cards, while the dealer will receive one face-up and one face-down card. If your initial hand totals 21, then you have a ‘blackjack’ or a ‘natural’ and you automatically win, otherwise the game will continue. If, on the other hand, the dealer’s upcard is ace or ten, then they’ll peek for blackjack before you even have the chance to choose your next move. If they have a blackjack you automatically lose the hand, if not you’ll be able to make your next move.

You have several options to choose from. You can hit (ask for another card), stand (end your turn by accepting your hand as it is), double your bet at the expense of receiving one and only one more card, or surrender your hand if you feel it’s not strong enough. If you surrender your hand before your turn is over you will receive half your bet back and thus cut your loss by 50%. If you have a pair, you’ll also have the option to split it in two.

As I already mentioned, in the case that the dealer’s upcard is an ace, you’ll be offered another bet, called ‘insurance’. It’s equal to half of your initial bet and it pays 2 to 1 in case that the dealer has a blackjack. That means that if the dealer does have a blackjack, you’ll get the value of your initial and insurance bet and end up not losing anything. If the dealer doesn’t have a blackjack you’ll lose only your insurance money and the game will continue.

Blackjack Surrender Odds

After your turn is finished and in the case you haven’t ‘busted’, i.e. the total of your hand is 21 or less, it’s the dealer’s turn. The dealer plays according to preset rules: they hit if the total of their hand is 16 or lower and stand if it’s 17 or more. If the dealer busts and you haven’t, you win the hand. If they stand, then whoever has the higher hand total wins. If it’s a tie, or a ‘push’ as it’s called in blackjack, both you and the dealer get your bets back.

For those who don’t know, there are two types of surrender options in blackjack – late surrender, which is the most common one, and early surrender which is quite rare. The first allows you to surrender a weak hand in exchange for half of your bet only after the dealer has peeked for blackjack, while the second allows you to do that even before the dealer peeks. On that note, Playtech’s Blackjack Surrender features only late surrender.

House Edge – What Are Your Odds?

As any other casino game, Blackjack Surrender’s rules are thought out in such way so that the casino always has a slight advantage and wins in the long run. When it comes to Playtech’s Blackjack Surrender in particular, the rules and the options are set in such way that with an optimal strategy the return-to-player percentage is 99.62%. This means that, with the exception of Blackjack Switch and Pontoon, Blackjack Surrender is the blackjack variation with the lowest house edge – 0.38%.

Blackjack Surrender Strategy Chart

Surrender In Blackjack Strategy

In order to achieve the best theoretical return-to-player percentage when you play Blackjack Surrender, you need to follow the strategy illustrated below. Still, with optimal strategy there will be a house edge of 0.38% which you can decrease and even overcome if you pick a nice bonus which is usable on the game. Of course, you can combine this strategy with a progressive betting strategy, like Martingale or Fibonacci, but if you do so you increase your chances of busting before you can wager your bonus. Therefore, I would advise you to pick a certain bet limit and stick to it throughout the whole process of wagering your bonus.

Blackjack Switch Strategy Chart

Bonus Offers Suitable for Playing Blackjack Surrender

As I already mentioned, picking a nice bonus to play Blackjack Surrender with can decrease and even turn around the house edge in your advantage. Of course, the most advantageous bonuses for the users are the welcome offers, so we’ve taken it upon us to check which Playtech casinos offer welcome bonuses that can be wagered on Blackjack Surrender. Here are the results:

CasinoBonusPlaythrough*Min. DepositRead More
William Hill100% up to £15020x bonus + deposit20%£10Review
Eurogrand25% up to £100035x bonus + deposit20%£10Review
Winner200% up to £30035x bonus + deposit20%£25Review
Ladbrokes100% up to £50020x bonus + deposit5%£20Review
* Wagering contribution of Blackjack Surrender.

As you can see in the table above, the wagering contribution of Blackjack Surrender is set at 20% at all the above-mentioned casinos, except for Ladbrokes where it is 5%. This means that if you, say, bet £100 on this game, only £20 will be considered for the clearing of the bonus. Casinos set this rule because blackjack is to a great extent a game of strategy and players can wager their bonuses way too easily on it, as opposed to on other casino games based purely on luck, such as slots and scratch cards. In fact, the wagering contribution of blackjack surrender is quite high. Take, Blackjack Switch for example. In most casino this game contributes only 5% toward the wagering requirement, while in others it doesn’t at all.

Surrender

But anyways, the best bonus you can claim for playing this game is the one offered by William Hill. Don’t get distracted by the low bonus amount! It may be true that it’s lower than the ones offered by other casinos, but it is in fact the most advantageous one. If you take into account the house edge and the wagering contribution of the game together with the wagering requirements for the bonus, you can easily calculate that there’s a huge chance you end up with a win.

Conclusion

Yes, there are a couple of blackjack variations that have lower house edge, but choosing to play Blackjack Surrender with the right bonus might just be the best choice you’ve made in your gambling career so far. And the right bonus, in this case, is the one offered by William Hill because of its favourable conditions. If you’re ready to start playing Blackjack Surrender but want to learn more about the operator and their offer, then make sure you also check out our in-depth William Hill Casino review where we take a really close look at all aspects of this gambling giant.

Blackjack is one of the most popular table games online and in land casinos. It has plenty of variations differing in rules and details. In some of the blackjack variations, there is a surrender decision available to the player. This move can be a lifesaver in the game if used correctly, especially if you know a good card counting method. Here are a couple of tips on how to use this move.

What Is Surrender?

Surrender is a solution that ends the game and saves half of the player’s bet. Most of the players ignore this move as they feel it’s useless. It is usually explained by the fact that you always have chances to win no matter which cards you get. Well, the thing is that in Blackjack, you also should consider the dealer’s upcard, as that is a crucial factor to consider.

Of course, you always have a chance to win no matter which combination you initially get. And still, experienced players always evaluate their chances, preferring to give up, when they are low. This can be a useful solution, as it allows you to cut your losses twice in bad games.

It has to be mentioned that casinos know how valuable surrender solution can be, and some of them forbid that move for Blackjack. Thus, for any player who wants to increase their chances of winning and improve results, it is a good idea to have a clear understanding of how to use this solution.

Blackjack Surrender Rules

What

As already mentioned, some Blackjack games support surrender solutions, and others don’t. Even among the games that support surrender, there can be different variations to the rules. Thus it is better to clarify them on the website if you play in an online casino or from a dealer if you play in a land casino. However, generally, the standard rules of Blackjack with surrender enabled look like this:

  • Dealer stands on 17.
  • Split is available, resplit is not.
  • If splitting Aces, you can only take one card afterwards. If you get 10 for any Ace hands, you get 21, not a natural Blackjack.
  • For natural Blackjack, the payment is 3:2
  • Double down enabled.
  • 7 Card Charlie is enabled and is beaten only by natural Blackjack.
  • The bet can be insured if the dealer has an Ace.

No matter which kind of Surrender Blackjack you are playing, there are common things that all players need to know:

  • Surrender is only available on the initial hand. Sometimes you can surrender before the dealer opens the hole card, which is called early surrender. Sometimes, you can surrender only after the dealer opens the hole card, which called late surrender.
  • The surrender option is useful when your chances of winning are less than 25%.

Peek Rule

The peek rule is about the situation when the dealer’s upcard values 10 or is an Ace. In such an occasion, a player can peek at the second card of the dealer’s initial hand, and the game is over if the hand values 21. For example, in case the dealer has an Ace upcard, you can watch the second one, and if it values 10, end the game, as it would be useless to continue it.

7 Card Charlie

As we all know, if the value of your hand exceeds or equals 21, the game is ended. 7 Card Charlie is a situation when you have 7 cards in your hand, and the sum equals or doesn’t exceed 21.

That means you win only if the dealer doesn’t have a natural Blackjack. For example, if you have 2, 3, Ace, 4, 3, 2, 4 – which equals to 19 with 7 cards, you win the game only if the dealer doesn’t have 21 with an Ace in hand.

When You Should Surrender in Blackjack

Generally, for Blackjack with surrender solution enabled, the dealer stands on 17. Thus, it would be best if you always surrendered on:

  • Dealer’s Ace, 9, 10 if you have a hard 16 (except 8-8, when it is better to split)
  • Dealer’s 10 upcard, if you have a hard 15.

This is the most basic strategy for the surrender solution that can be used by beginners. It has to be mentioned that the number of decks and availability of early or late surrender have a great impact on the way the surrender move has to be used. Continue reading below to get a more detailed description of the strategies depending on the Blackjack rules.

Early Surrender Strategy

Early surrender means that you can use the surrender solution before the dealer reveals the second card in their hand. Thus, due to proper card counting, you should surrender when:

What Is Surrender In Blackjack

  • The dealer has an Ace
  • You have hard 5-7, 12-17
  • You have pairs 3-3, 6-6, 7-7, 8-8

Or:

  • The dealer has a 10
  • You have hard 14-16
  • You have pairs of 7-7, 8-8

However, using these moves can be conditional, depending on the Blackjack game rules. Thus, there are exceptions to consider:

  • Single deck Blackjack: do not surrender if the dealer has 10, and you have 10-4, 5-9
  • Double-deck Blackjack: do not surrender if the dealer has 10, and you have 10-4
  • Dealer hits on soft 17: surrender if you have a pair of 2-2 against the dealer’s Ace
  • Double down after split allowed: do not surrender if the dealer has 10 and you have a pair 8-8

Let’s make an example.

Dealer: Ace

You: 6-7

As you can see, the dealer has an Ace, and the second card is not revealed yet. You have 6-7, which totals 13. You cannot split, as you did not get a pair of same cards. What you can do is either hit, double down or surrender.

In case you choose the surrender option, you will get half of your bet back. In case you double down or hit, your chances to win are less than 25%. Thus, the best option would be to surrender.

To make it more convenient, check this table for an early surrender strategy. Consider that it is eligible for games when:

  • Dealer stands on soft 17
  • Double down after split allowed


Late Surrender Strategy

In most casinos, you can surrender your hand only when the dealer opens a hole card. That means that if the dealer has a 10 or an Ace as an upcard, and he opens a hole card that gives his hand a natural Blackjack, surrender is no longer available, and you will lose all of your bet. That is why it’s called late surrender. Games with the option of late surrender are less profitable for the player than the games with early surrender.

As for early surrender Blackjack, you can surrender before the hole card is revealed, so if the dealer has a natural Blackjack in the initial game, you can get at least half of your bet and avoid making double down as well.

This fact is one of the reasons strategies for late surrender and early surrender differ. When it comes to the games with late surrender strategy enabled, there are two main factors affecting your choice upon surrender solution:

  • Actions of the dealer on soft 17(hit or stand)
  • Number of decks (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 8)

For the late surrender strategy, an advanced or basic strategy can be used. Basic strategy only considers:

  • value of the player’s initial hand
  • value of the dealer’s upcard (whether it is 9, 10 or Ace)
  • number of decks

The advanced strategy considers not only the value of the player’s card but also the exact combination of the cards in hand.

Here is how the basic strategy upon surrender decision-making looks if you get a hard 15-17 in four or more deck blackjack:

  • Do not surrender if the dealer gets 9 or Ace standing on soft 17
  • Surrender if the dealer gets 10 or Ace and hits on soft 17

If you get a hard 16:

  • Always surrender
  • Exception: you get 8-8 and double down after the split is allowed

If you get hard 17:

  • Never surrender if the dealer has 9, 10
  • Surrender if the dealer has an Ace and hits on soft 17, do not if he stands on soft 17

Blackjack Surrender Rule

As late surrender decision-making in Blackjack varies slightly due to factors such as the number of decks or the dealer’s moves on soft 17, it is better to see what the basic strategy should look like in the table:

Here is how the advanced strategy looks in the table (double down after split allowed):


Blackjack Surrender Chart

Blackjack Surrender Chart

The chart below is designed to show you the best solutions upon the initial hand. It is best applicable for those who want to use the surrender solution in games where this option is enabled. Here you can see three separate tables, when you get pairs, Ace, and hard value in the initial hand.

Tips for Surrender

Surrender is a player’s solution that must be used wisely. It is best to learn all about the other solutions available to you, before you get to advanced usage of surrender, as all in all, it is more about cutting your losses, not winning a game. Below, you can see valuable tips on this solution, which you can use for your good:

  • Surrender solution is not always available in casinos – clarify this with the dealer if you are playing in a land casino, or read the rules of the Blackjack game you play. Usually, if surrender is supported, it is pointed out in the game description or on the casino website.
  • The surrender solution can be a very valuable move for players, so some of the casinos, both land and online, do not allow it.
  • This option is valuable for those who count cards, and when you know how to use other Blackjack solutions, otherwise there is a high chance that advanced usage of this move will be useless for you.
  • The solution is valuable in the long run, so those who want to play and adhere to a specified strategy can benefit the most from the exploitation of the surrender move.
  • Even if the surrender solution is available, there still can be variations enabled, so check the rules thoroughly. For example, some casinos only offer early surrender (player can surrender after he/she saw the dealer’s upcard valuing ten or Ace, others offer late surrender (even if the dealer has an Ace or ten, the player should wait until the hole card is revealed, and in the case that it gives a hand natural Blackjack, the surrender option will no longer be available).
  • Depending on the rules of the land casino you play in, the surrender option can be either chosen verbally or with a signal. Clarify that with the dealer.

Surrender FAQ

How to Surrender in Blackjack?

It depends on the casino you play in. In some casinos, you can show a signal – draw an imaginary line from left to right on the felt with your index finger. In others, you can do it verbally. For online casinos, there should be a corresponding button in the game interface.

Is Surrender Allowed in Las Vegas Blackjack?

There are not many land casinos that offer this option in Las Vegas. Still, you can find some that do.

Other Blackjack Strategies

Along with the surrender, there are also other solutions – hit, stand, double down, and split. Wise usage of these combinations and card counting can bring you better results than using only one of them.

Double Down

Double down is a solution that allows you to increase the bet after you receive your initial hand. Afterwards, you can only take one card. The bet can be increased by 100% or up to 100% -it depends on the game variation you play.

Split

Split is a move that allows you to get two hands instead of one. When you get a combination of cards with the same value (8-8, 9-9, etc.), you can do a split. Afterwards, you place an additional bet for the second hand, and each hand is played solely, so you can win with one hand and lose with the second one.

Hit & Stand

Hit is a solution to take one more card. The hit move can be made as many times as you want until the value of the hand makes or exceeds 21.

Stand means that you stop taking more cards. Choose this option when you think that you already have received the best combination in the round. Hit & Standare the basic moves in Blackjack.

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