Those terms refer to whether or not a dealer checks to see if s/he has a blackjack (when an Ace or 10 is showing) before you may make the surrender decision. In A.C., the type of surrender was ‘early' which meant that you could give up half your bet before the dealer knew if s/he had a ‘natural'. Blackjack Surrender is a simple game to learn; it plays similarly to Vegas strip blackjack. There are a couple of differences, though, such as the 7-card card Charlie rule and the option to surrender. The option to surrender will favor the player.
At certain online casinos, you will find the option to 'surrender' at some of the available blackjack tables.
Surrendering in blackjack is a form of strategy and of safe-guarding your hand when you recognize bad odds. It doesn't make you a bad or cowardly player to surrender.
It's also usually available for classic or American blackjack, rather than European.
Traditionally, blackjack games that offered the surrender option were for the high-roller games. So if you're looking for the option, you may want to try the VIP Blackjack tables at your online or live casino.
Let's take a look at the types of surrender options you'll find. We will also break down when you should surrender, to optimize your strategy.
No surrender, Early Surrender or Late Surrender
Blackjack games will either not offer the option ('no surrender'), or offer the option at specific moments in the game.
You will be able to surrender if the dealer has an Ace as his upcard. If he does, there are chances that he may have a blackjack.
- Early: you can surrender before a dealer checks for Blackjack
- Late: after dealer has checked for blackjack and doesn't have it
When you surrender, you get half your bet back. You will, of course, lose less money if you surrender earlier rather than later.
When To Surrender: Odds and Dealer Hands
There are a lot of strategy guides out there that will tell you when you absolutely should or absolutely shouldn't surrender.
In the end, it really boils down to how you want to play, but it's true that playing with the odds in mind can be lucrative.
First of all, you should know how many decks the dealer is using. If it's a double-deck game or a 4-8 deck, then the odds will differ.
Knowing when to surrender basically depends on the dealer's hand, and what he's allowed to do. We'll break down some relevant blackjack surrender terminology and then look at a few scenarios.
Blackjack Surrender Terms: Hard Hand vs Soft Hand
You will often see blackjack guides referring to a 'hard' or 'soft' score. This refers to the value of the ace, as the ace can be worth a 1 or an 11.
When the ace value is 1, the overall score is 'soft'.
When the ace value is 11, the overall score is 'hard'.
Here's an example: a 'soft 17' could be for instance, a 10+6+Ace. And a 'hard 17' could be an Ace+6.
When to Surrender: Difference Blackjack Scenarios
As we mentioned further up, surrendering counts as a part of your strategy. We've compiled a list of recommendations-per-scenario made by blackjack experts to help you know when to surrender.
- Dealer with an ace as their upcard, must stand on 17
In this situation, if your score is anything under 16 then you may hit or stand as you please.
If your score is 16 however, surrender is your best option.
- Dealer with ace, must hit on all hard 17s
In some games, the general rule of 'dealer stands on 17' will have this variant. Experts say that this decreases player edge; and so you should surrender if your score is at 15-16-17.
- Dealer with a 10-value card, must stand on 17
There are three general rules to follow here. If your score is:
- 15: surrender
- 16: surrender
- 17: stand
These are of course rules based on your odds of winning against a dealer with such a hand. If you want to risk it, you're free to hit or stand as you please.
- Dealer with a 9, must stand on 17
Again, here are the guidelines recommended by the experts:
- 15: take a hit
- 16: surrender
- 17: stand
Blackjack Surrender is an exciting variant of 21 from leading software developer, Playtech, allowing you to surrender a poor blackjack hand for the chance to retain half your wager. Find out more about this blackjack game and where to play Blackjack Surrender for real money bets.
Note: As of September 2017, online casinos are banned from offering their services to Australian players. The information in this article is directed at international readers only – we do not endorse any casinos for Australian readers.
Where to play Blackjack Surrender online
How To Surrender Blackjack
Blackjack Surrender overview
Playtech's Blackjack Surrender is a multi-hand game which allows you to play up to five hands at once. Minimum bets start from just $0.50, with maximum bets capped at $50.00 per hand. It also offers the unique option of changing the colour of the betting table to suit your personal tastes. The theoretical RTP when using optimal strategy is 99.66%.
Like all classic versions of blackjack, the aim of Blackjack Surrender is to get a hand that's closer to 21 than the dealers, without exceeding 21 (which is known as going 'bust'). Natural blackjack's that consist of a ten-value card and an ace result in an automatic win, while all ties with the dealer of 17 and up result in a push.
The major difference in Blackjack Surrender is if, after the dealer has checked for blackjack, you don't think your hand is strong enough to beat theirs, you can choose to surrender your hand – essentially bowing out of the game. If you surrender, you get half of your wager back, so the game is not a total loss.
How to play Blackjack Surrender
Blackjack Surrender is available at Casino.com for free demo play or real money bets. Once you've loaded the game, click on the chips to select the value of your bet. You can play up to five hands at once – just place the betting chips on the corresponding betting sections. Once you've placed your bets, hit the deal button to receive your cards. You'll then have the option to hit, stand, double or surrender.
If you've chosen to stay in the game, the dealer will now reveal their face-down cards and your hand is compared to theirs to determine the winner. All wins are automatically credited to your account and you now have the option to start a new game or re-bet to place the same wager as the previous round.
Rules of Blackjack Surrender
Along with the additional Surrender rule, Playtech's Blackjack Surrender follows the standard rules of Vegas Strip Blackjack, including:
Split – If the first two cards you're dealt are of the same value, you have the option of splitting them to create two separate hands, which requires an additional wager equal to the value of your initial bet. You can draw as many cards as you like on each split hand, except when splitting aces. An ace and a ten value card on a new split hand is not considered a natural blackjack and will pay out like a normal 21 win.
Those terms refer to whether or not a dealer checks to see if s/he has a blackjack (when an Ace or 10 is showing) before you may make the surrender decision. In A.C., the type of surrender was ‘early' which meant that you could give up half your bet before the dealer knew if s/he had a ‘natural'. Blackjack Surrender is a simple game to learn; it plays similarly to Vegas strip blackjack. There are a couple of differences, though, such as the 7-card card Charlie rule and the option to surrender. The option to surrender will favor the player.
At certain online casinos, you will find the option to 'surrender' at some of the available blackjack tables.
Surrendering in blackjack is a form of strategy and of safe-guarding your hand when you recognize bad odds. It doesn't make you a bad or cowardly player to surrender.
It's also usually available for classic or American blackjack, rather than European.
Traditionally, blackjack games that offered the surrender option were for the high-roller games. So if you're looking for the option, you may want to try the VIP Blackjack tables at your online or live casino.
Let's take a look at the types of surrender options you'll find. We will also break down when you should surrender, to optimize your strategy.
No surrender, Early Surrender or Late Surrender
Blackjack games will either not offer the option ('no surrender'), or offer the option at specific moments in the game.
You will be able to surrender if the dealer has an Ace as his upcard. If he does, there are chances that he may have a blackjack.
- Early: you can surrender before a dealer checks for Blackjack
- Late: after dealer has checked for blackjack and doesn't have it
When you surrender, you get half your bet back. You will, of course, lose less money if you surrender earlier rather than later.
When To Surrender: Odds and Dealer Hands
There are a lot of strategy guides out there that will tell you when you absolutely should or absolutely shouldn't surrender.
In the end, it really boils down to how you want to play, but it's true that playing with the odds in mind can be lucrative.
First of all, you should know how many decks the dealer is using. If it's a double-deck game or a 4-8 deck, then the odds will differ.
Knowing when to surrender basically depends on the dealer's hand, and what he's allowed to do. We'll break down some relevant blackjack surrender terminology and then look at a few scenarios.
Blackjack Surrender Terms: Hard Hand vs Soft Hand
You will often see blackjack guides referring to a 'hard' or 'soft' score. This refers to the value of the ace, as the ace can be worth a 1 or an 11.
When the ace value is 1, the overall score is 'soft'.
When the ace value is 11, the overall score is 'hard'.
Here's an example: a 'soft 17' could be for instance, a 10+6+Ace. And a 'hard 17' could be an Ace+6.
When to Surrender: Difference Blackjack Scenarios
As we mentioned further up, surrendering counts as a part of your strategy. We've compiled a list of recommendations-per-scenario made by blackjack experts to help you know when to surrender.
- Dealer with an ace as their upcard, must stand on 17
In this situation, if your score is anything under 16 then you may hit or stand as you please.
If your score is 16 however, surrender is your best option.
- Dealer with ace, must hit on all hard 17s
In some games, the general rule of 'dealer stands on 17' will have this variant. Experts say that this decreases player edge; and so you should surrender if your score is at 15-16-17.
- Dealer with a 10-value card, must stand on 17
There are three general rules to follow here. If your score is:
- 15: surrender
- 16: surrender
- 17: stand
These are of course rules based on your odds of winning against a dealer with such a hand. If you want to risk it, you're free to hit or stand as you please.
- Dealer with a 9, must stand on 17
Again, here are the guidelines recommended by the experts:
- 15: take a hit
- 16: surrender
- 17: stand
Blackjack Surrender is an exciting variant of 21 from leading software developer, Playtech, allowing you to surrender a poor blackjack hand for the chance to retain half your wager. Find out more about this blackjack game and where to play Blackjack Surrender for real money bets.
Note: As of September 2017, online casinos are banned from offering their services to Australian players. The information in this article is directed at international readers only – we do not endorse any casinos for Australian readers.
Where to play Blackjack Surrender online
How To Surrender Blackjack
Blackjack Surrender overview
Playtech's Blackjack Surrender is a multi-hand game which allows you to play up to five hands at once. Minimum bets start from just $0.50, with maximum bets capped at $50.00 per hand. It also offers the unique option of changing the colour of the betting table to suit your personal tastes. The theoretical RTP when using optimal strategy is 99.66%.
Like all classic versions of blackjack, the aim of Blackjack Surrender is to get a hand that's closer to 21 than the dealers, without exceeding 21 (which is known as going 'bust'). Natural blackjack's that consist of a ten-value card and an ace result in an automatic win, while all ties with the dealer of 17 and up result in a push.
The major difference in Blackjack Surrender is if, after the dealer has checked for blackjack, you don't think your hand is strong enough to beat theirs, you can choose to surrender your hand – essentially bowing out of the game. If you surrender, you get half of your wager back, so the game is not a total loss.
How to play Blackjack Surrender
Blackjack Surrender is available at Casino.com for free demo play or real money bets. Once you've loaded the game, click on the chips to select the value of your bet. You can play up to five hands at once – just place the betting chips on the corresponding betting sections. Once you've placed your bets, hit the deal button to receive your cards. You'll then have the option to hit, stand, double or surrender.
If you've chosen to stay in the game, the dealer will now reveal their face-down cards and your hand is compared to theirs to determine the winner. All wins are automatically credited to your account and you now have the option to start a new game or re-bet to place the same wager as the previous round.
Rules of Blackjack Surrender
Along with the additional Surrender rule, Playtech's Blackjack Surrender follows the standard rules of Vegas Strip Blackjack, including:
Split – If the first two cards you're dealt are of the same value, you have the option of splitting them to create two separate hands, which requires an additional wager equal to the value of your initial bet. You can draw as many cards as you like on each split hand, except when splitting aces. An ace and a ten value card on a new split hand is not considered a natural blackjack and will pay out like a normal 21 win.
Insurance – If the dealer's first card reveals an ace, you have the option of placing an additional wager of half the amount of your initial bet in order to insure your hand. If the dealer's hand does result in a blackjack, you'll receive a payout of 2 to 1 on your insurance bet. If the dealer does not have a blackjack, you'll lose your initial bet plus your insurance bet.
Double – If you think your initial hand is strong and are confident that a third card will allow you to beat the dealer, you can opt to double the amount of your original bet before being dealt your third card.
Seven Card Charlie – Although rare, it is theoretically possible for you to draw seven cards without exceeding 21. If you manage to do this, your hand is considered a Seven Card Charlie and you automatically win.
The notable differences between Vegas Strip rules and Blackjack Surrender rules are:
- No splits are allowed on split hands
- Only one card is drawn when splitting aces
- Double down is allowed after splitting
- If the dealer's initial hand is valued at 16 or less, they will draw an additional card, but will stand with their initial two cards if the hand is valued at 17 or greater.
Payouts
Blackjack Surrender Vegas
Blackjack Surrender offers standard payouts where a winning hand will pay 1 to 1, insurance pays 2 to 1 and a natural blackjack pays 3 to 2.
Where to play Blackjack Surrender
Blackjack Surrender is available at one of our top-rated 21 sites, Casino.com, where you can play directly over your Web browser or by downloading the exclusive Casino.com software (which is unfortunately only available for PC users).
You'll find a lot of great blackjack variants at this site, including some rarer titles like Blackjack Switch, 21 Duel Blackjack and Double Attack Blackjack. Casino.com happily accepts deposits in multiple currencies using safe depoit methods like Visa, MasterCard, Neteller, Skrill and Paysafecard.
Blackjack Surrender Rules
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