Surrender may not always be available at the table you’re playing at as the rules may vary from one table to another. Should however the option be available, the first decision you should make in a hand is always whether or not you should use it. By using surrender you’ll be giving up your hand and receive half of your stake back. This means that you won’t be able to win the hand, but this will instantly end for you as half of your stake is being returned.

There are two different types of surrender that you may come across, which is late and early surrender. Late surrender is quite an unusual type to stumble upon, but when it is indeed used at the table, it won’t be possible to give up your hand whenever the dealer has been dealt a blackjack. If the dealer’s first card has a value of 10 or is showing an ace, the dealer will have a look at the second card. If it turns out that this card has a value that results in the dealer having a blackjack, the surrender option won’t be available for the hand.

Early surrender is a lot more common to find at the tables, which means that it’s always possible to surrender the hand, no matter what the dealer’s first card is showing. It is however important to be aware that the option must be used the first thing you do in a hand. If you have made any other decision, such as asked for another card, the option won’t be available.

A proper blackjack surrender strategy is critical when playing at casinos that offer surrender. Many players surrender way too often and end up costing themselves more money than they would if they just ignored the surrender option altogether. The good news for you is that proper surrender strategy isn’t particularly difficult.

The basic gist of surrender is that if you don’t like your cards, you can forfeit half your bet and end the hand now. This eliminates the possibility of you losing the entire bet. Basically, it’s an option to get out early when you feel all hope is lost.

Blackjack Surrender is a game variant which is highly popular with beginners due to an option players can use to quit the game and keep a half of their wager. If you are on a losing streak and you have been dealt another bad hand, this option can help you save yourself. Blackjack basic strategy is a set of rules and guidelines which allow you to maximize your winning odds. It is very hard, if not impossible, to make a profit playing Blackjack, especially in the long term, if you’re not employing the basic strategy. While the Illustrious 18 are variations to the basic strategy for any blackjack game, the Fab Four are variations to help a player increase his/her profit in a game where the surrender option is offered. Don Schlesinger came up with the ”Fab Four” term, which refers to the top-four late-surrender plays based on the Hi-Lo system. Any trusted online blackjack strategy guide will start with basic strategy. This approach informs players, based on their hand and the dealer's upcard, which action is most likely to win. Using basic strategy reduces the house edge of the game as much as possible, and in games that use only a single deck, gives players a slight edge over the house.

When to Surrender

The correct answer of “when to surrender” depends on the rules of the table, your cards and the dealer’s up-card. As far as the rules go, the main one we’re concerned with is whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17. Here’s a basic surrender strategy that you can use to increase your blackjack win rate:

If the dealer hits on soft 17

• Surrender when you have a hard 15 and the dealer is showing a 10 or Ace
• Surrender when you have a hard 16 and the dealer is showing a 9, 10 or Ace
• Surrender when you have a pair of 8s and the dealer is showing an Ace
• Surrender when you have a hard 17 and the dealer is showing an Ace

If the dealer stands on soft 17

• Surrender when you have a hard 15 and the dealer is showing a 10
• Surrender when have a hard 16 and the dealer is showing a 9, 10 or Ace

An easier way to remember when to surrender is to print the following strategy charts. Keep this card with you until you have the correct surrender strategy down pat. It won’t take long at all.

Blackjack Basic Strategy No Surrender

Dealer Hits S17

Dealer Stands S17

Surrender In Blackjack Strategy

Blackjack Late Surrender Strategy

Final Thoughts

As you can see, you do not need to surrender very often to gain an advantage in blackjack. You may be tempted to surrender more often than this, but do not fall into that temptation. In most cases, you still have enough of a chance to win the hand that forfeiting 50% of your wager is a bad play.

When you surrender, you lose a guaranteed 50% of your bet. The only time you should surrender is when your chance of winning the hand is lower than 25%. Check out the Blackjack Classroom’s blackjack surrender page for an in-depth explanation of the numbers behind this strategy. That website is a great resource, by the way.

Blackjack Basic Strategy Surrender

If you surrender more often than the recommendations listed here, you will end up costing yourself more money in the long run. If you stick with the guidelines listed here, you’ll do alright.