We believe most people know what surrendering means, even if they have never played a single hand of blackjack in their lives. The word itself bears negative connotations because it is synonymous with giving up, admitting defeat, or throwing in the towel. This is something many casual blackjack players hate to do.
Yet, surrendering can be the smartest decision you make with certain hands, compared to other possible plays such as standing or hitting. The only trouble is surrendering is widely misunderstood, with fewer and fewer players taking advantage of this option these days. The option has even been removed entirely by some land-based casinos because almost no one bothers to use it at the tables.
However, surrendering can be very advantageous for the player when used correctly. It helps you save money when you are the underdog in unfavorable situations and is one of the few decisions that can actually decrease the casino’s edge. This article explains how surrendering works in blackjack and discusses the situations in which it is the optimal play.
The Surrender Playing Decision in Blackjack
Surrendering in blackjack is similar to folding in poker, but there are two main differences between the two games. Blackjack players may surrender only if the hand they forfeit consists of no more than two cards. Another difference stems from the fact that in blackjack you automatically forfeit half of your initial stake and keep the other half. It makes sense to exercise this option only when you have a terrible two-card hand and the chances of beating the dealer are minuscule.
Surrendering is not available in all gambling venues or even at all blackjack tables within the same establishment. To make matters worse, the availability of surrender is never indicated by any plaques at the table. It is not written on the felt, either. The only way to know with certainty whether this is an option is by directly asking the dealer or the pit boss. Many casual players are averse to using the surrender option, so at times you will have to put up with eye-rolls or scathing remarks when you decide to forfeit a hand.
The Surrender Playing Decision in Blackjack Additional TipsIf you want to surrender a hand, you must do so at the very start of the round, before you have drawn any additional cards. Players are also required to use the correct hand signal when surrendering. This usually involves drawing a horizontal line behind your chips with your index finger.
In some casinos, players signal surrender by lifting both hands as if to say “I am giving up”. Since there is no universal hand gesture for this play, it is best to accompany your signal with a verbal statement. This helps prevent confusion and misunderstandings.
Regardless of which of the two gestures you use, the dealer will collect half of your original stake from the felt. Your starting hand will no longer be in action after you forfeit it, so the cards will be placed in the discard tray along with those from previous rounds.
Early and Late Surrender: What Is the Difference?
There are two types of surrender in blackjack, and it is advisable to learn how to distinguish between them, even though the first one has become nearly obsolete these days. The surrender option was first introduced at Resorts International in Atlantic City as an experiment.
Early surrender (ES) gives players the opportunity to forfeit their hand before the dealer has checked for a blackjack under their Ace (and/or their ten-value card, depending on the casino’s rules). This is the more player-friendly variation of the rule. It is known to reduce the house edge in six-deck games where the dealer stands on soft 17 by as much as 0.63%.
When late surrender (LS) is available, players can forfeit their starting two-card hands only after the dealer has peeked for a blackjack under the hole card. If the dealer does have a natural, surrendering will no longer be an option in this case.
Early and Late Surrender Additional TipsInstead, you automatically lose your entire stake unless you also have a blackjack and push with the dealer. This variation of the rule takes a meager 0.07% off the casino’s edge but is still better than no surrender at all.
Keep in mind that you will hardly find multiple-deck blackjack tables that use hole cards and offer early surrender these days. Most casinos across the United States have eliminated early surrender altogether because it significantly decreases their edge.
Early surrender is still available in some casinos in Asia and Europe. However, the dealers in such games deal themselves one face-up card at the beginning of the round and draw a second card only after all patrons have finished playing their hands. This difference leads to discrepancies in the optimal strategies for early- and late-surrender games.
Strategy for Surrendering in Blackjack
We will not discuss the strategy for early surrender here because, as explained, this option has become largely obsolete in multiple-deck blackjack games that use dealer hole cards.
Similar to other playing decisions, the optimal strategy for late surrender is affected by variables such as the number of decks and the house rules the dealer must follow. Of course, the dealer’s upcard also plays a crucial role here. Because of these differences, we have broken down the optimal surrender plays based on the number of decks in use.
Surrendering is a good idea when you have certain hard totals and the dealer is in a favorable position, showing very strong upcards. The dealer is likely to outdraw you when they start with a powerful card. Meanwhile, if you decide to hit your hard total, you stand a significant chance of busting by drawing an additional card.
Your probability of winning with such hard totals should be below 50% for surrender to be the optimal decision. In single-deck blackjack variations, you should resort to surrendering only under the following circumstances:
- With a hard 16 against a dealer Ace or 10 in both S17 and H17 games
- With a pair of 7s (hard 14) against a dealer 10 in S17 games
- With a hard 15 against a dealer Ace in H17 games
- With a pair of 7s (hard 14) against a dealer Ace or 10 in H17 games
- With hard 17 against a dealer Ace in H17 games
Hard 17 is forfeited in this case because it is below the average winning hand total of 18.5, while the dealer stands a good chance of outdrawing you with an Ace or 10. The strategy for surrendering changes a little when we add a second deck of cards to the game.
Because of this, it is vitally important to know how many decks you are playing against and what the fixed drawing conditions for the dealer are. Thus, when you play double-deck blackjack, the strategy dictates that you surrender in the following instances:
- When you have hard 15 against a dealer 10 in S17 games
- When you have hard 16 against a dealer 10 or Ace in S17 games
- With hard 15 or hard 16 against a dealer 10 or Ace in H17 variations
- With hard 17 against a dealer Ace in H17 variations
- When you have a pair of 8s versus a dealer Ace in H17 games
Note that surrendering the pair of 8s against a dealer Ace who hits soft 17 is the optimal play only on the condition that you are not permitted to double down after you split the 8s (NDAS). If DAS is available, you should split and then double if you happen to catch a 2 or 3 on your 8.
Finally, below are the correct surrender decisions for players who take on the dealer in multiple-deck blackjack games. We suggest you do your best to memorize these surrender plays because most blackjack variations with decent, liberal rules today use four, six, or eight decks of cards.
- Surrender hard 15 against a 10 in S17 blackjack
- Surrender hard 16 against 9, 10, or Ace in both S17 and H17 games
- Surrender hard 15 against 10 or Ace in H17 games
- Surrender hard 17 against a dealer Ace in H17 games
- Surrender pairs of 8s against a dealer Ace in H17 variations
Being forced to admit defeat is never a pleasant sensation, either in life or at the blackjack table. However, the ability to recognize situations where your hands are sure losers against the dealer’s powerful upcards will save you a lot of frustration and money in the long term, so be sure to learn the surrender plays for the blackjack variation you play the most often.