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When Should You Surrender In Blackjack

In these cases, you should not go for late surrender: When you play a single-deck Blackjack and the dealer stands on a soft 17, don’t play a late surrender when the dealer has a 9, 10 or an A and your hand is worth 15; When you play a single-deck game and the dealer has a 9 and your hand is worth 16. The bottom line is that you should only surrender blackjack hands when your chances of winning are less than 25% (this means the casino has a greater than 50% of beating you). If the casino's edge is greater than 50% than you are better off to surrender half (or 50%) of your bet.

Table Of Contents

The 'surrender bet' in blackjack is one of the least known moves in the game.

Available only in the blackjack surrender variant, this move let you save half of your bet by folding your hand before it meets that of the dealer.

In this beginner's guide to blackjack surrender, you'll learn:

  • what is surrender in blackjack
  • the rules of blackjack surrender
  • when you surrender in blackjack
  • and a lot more.

In other words, if you are looking for an all-in-one guide to blackjack surrender, you'll love this one.

Blackjack Surrender

If you've seen the table games section of at least one of these online casinos, you know there are countless blackjack variants online.

Blackjack surrender is one of them.

When it comes to this game, there are two schools of thought:

  1. Some players think blackjack surrender is a game for quitters
  2. Others consider it the best blackjack variant out there.

I lean toward the latter as I find blackjack surrender to be a great game.

Thanks to the reduced house edge (which comes from the possibility to surrender early), this variant of the game attracts smart players who like real money blackjack online and take things seriously.

When there's money involved, it's good to have the chance to quit before it's too late.

What is Surrender in Blackjack?

In a game that features the 'surrender' option, the player can fold a blackjack hand before drawing new cards.

When a player chooses to surrender, half of the original bet is returned to the stack, and half is forfeited to the dealer.

In a game of live blackjack, a player needs to swipe a finger behind the bet to indicate the intention to surrender and recoup half of it.

In online play, blackjack surrender games feature an extra button to call this special feature.

ShouldOnline blackjack with surrender

How to Play Blackjack Surrender?

If you know how to play blackjack, you know how to play blackjack surrender, too.

The rules of this game follow the same basic rules of 21.

In addition to knowing when to hit, stand, and split - to win at this game you need to know when it's the best time to surrender and forfeit your hand before you hand your bet to the casino.

A game of blackjack surrender gives you two options:

1. Early Surrender

The early surrender option allows you to quit the hand and pay only 1/2 of your initial bet before the dealer checks for a blackjack. This option is the best one for players, as the chance to use an early surrender reduces the game's house advantage by 0.62 per cent.

2. Late Surrender

The late surrender one, let you do the same only after the dealer turns their cards. In this case, you get to take half of your bet back only if the dealer's hand is not a blackjack.

When to Surrender in Blackjack?

To win at blackjack surrender, you need to know when it's the best time to surrender in a game of blackjack. And if you are new to this, it might not be obvious.

In short, you should surrender every time the odds are clearly against you.

When Should You Surrender In Blackjack

The best times to surrender in blackjack are:

SituationYour handDealer's card
#1169, 10, ace
#21510

In the first case, you should not surrender when you get two cards of the value of eight. If this happens, you have more chances to win if you split them into two separate hands and continue to play.

Blackjack Surrender Online

All the sites in the list below offer games of blackjack surrender online for free and for real money.

Most of them feature only the late surrender option, so they are not ideal choices. The top three, however, are those where you get the best winning odds, since you have also the early surrender option.

All sites offer a welcome bonus on signup. You can use it to play blackjack surrender if this is the first time you play games there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you surrender in blackjack?

In some circumstances, as when the odds are clearly not in your favour, surrender your blackjack hand is the best choice. To find all the combinations when surrender is the best move, check out this table.

Is surrender allowed in Las Vegas blackjack?

The surrender move is not featured on all blackjack tables. If you want to use it to lower the casino advantage, ask the casino staff to direct you to the 'blackjack surrender' games.

What is the hand signal for surrender in blackjack?

To show the dealer that you intend to 'surrender,' you need to run your index finger behind the bet you placed on the blackjack table.

Can you surrender in online blackjack?

Yes. All these sites offer games of blackjack surrender online.

Want to know more about blackjack? Check out these articles!

The promotion presented on this page was available at the time of writing. With some Casino promotions changing on daily basis, we suggest you to check on the site if it still available. Also, please do not forget to read the terms and conditions in full before you accept a bonus.

Free Blackjack Surrender

When playing blackjack at a physical or land-based casino, the most frequent decision you’ll have to make is whether to hit or stand. While you can gain a feel for this over time simply through experience, you can expedite the process by studying up on the best moves to make in any given situation. If you’re ready to win more cash during blackjack games, read our handy guide to learn when to hit and when to stand.

Master the Basics

Before we delve into strategies, we want to make sure that you have a firm grasp on the basics of hitting and standing. The main premise of blackjack is to get a hand whose total exceeds the dealer’s hand, but without going over 21. When you hit, this means that you want to draw another card to try to improve your hand’s total. Conversely, when you stand, you are satisfied with your hand’s total and don’t want to draw any more cards. If you signal to the dealer that you want to stand, your hand for the round is completed. If you hit and your hand exceeds 21, you’ve busted.

We have two important gambling terms for you to memorize before learning strategies: hard hand and soft hand. A hard hand is any hand that doesn’t contain an ace, or in which an ace’s value is only 1. A 10-8 and a 7-A-10 hand are both hard 18s. A soft hand contains an ace that’s counted as an 11. For instance, an A-7 hand is a soft 18. If one of the first two cards you are dealt is an ace, you have a soft hand. This gives you an advantage. The ace has a value of 11, but if you take a hit and go over 21, its value reverts to 1. This eliminates the risk of busting after that hit, thus giving you the freedom to make moves that would normally be risky.

Now that you know the basic definitions, we’ll go through the circumstances in which you should hit or stand. We’ll provide you with the best strategies, as well as blackjack hit/stand tables that you can save for future reference.

Hitting and Standing with a Hard Hand

Should

When playing blackjack with a hard hand, we would recommend the following:

  • When you are dealt a total of 5-8, always hit.
  • When you are dealt 9, hit if the dealer shows a 2 or a 7 through ace.
  • If you have 10, hit if the dealer shows an ace or a 10.
  • If your hand is 11, hit only if the dealer shows an ace.
  • For a hand of 12, stand if the dealer shows a 4 through 6. If they show a 2, 3, or a 7 through ace, hit.
  • When you have a hand of 13 through 16, stand if the dealer reveals a hand of 2 through 6. Otherwise, hit.
  • When you are dealt 17 through 21, you should always stand.

Reference Chart

Blackjack hit or stand on a hard hand cheat sheet.

When Should I Surrender In Blackjack


If you’re playing a multi-deck game and you have a hard 17, double down instead of taking a hit.

You’ll need to make some minor tweaks to our strategy, depending on the number of decks and rules you’re playing with. If you’re playing in a double-deck game, don’t hit when you have a 9 and the dealer has 2. If you have an 11 against the dealer’s ace, don’t hit either. In both cases, you should double down.

And lastly, if you’re playing in a single-deck game, double down under the following circumstances:

Can You Surrender In Blackjack After Hitting

  • You have 8 and the dealer has 5 or 6.
  • You have 9 against the dealer’s 2.
  • You have 11 and the dealer has an ace.

Hitting and Standing With a Soft Hand

Remember, you can’t bust a soft hand with a one-card hit. Taking that into consideration, our strategy for playing with a soft hand is much simpler than our hard hand strategy. Keep the following moves in mind:

  • If you have a soft 19 or 20, you should always stand. You are unlikely to get a stronger hand than this.
  • For a soft 18 against the dealer’s 2 through 8, stand. If the dealer shows 9, 10, or an ace, hit.
  • If your total is soft 17 or less, you should always hit.

What Are Your Other Options?

Hitting and standing aren’t the only options available to you in a game of blackjack. The following moves are also possible:

Split. If you are initially dealt two cards of the same value, you can split your hand. You’ll place an additional wager equivalent to your first one, and then manage two hands rather than 1.

Double Down.Gamblers can increase their potential profits with this move, but it comes with some inherent risk. To use this move, you must double the size with your bet and then receive one more card. After that, you must stand.

Surrender. If you are not confident with your chances of winning the round, you have the option to surrender. When you use this move, you will only lose half of your bet.

Where to Play Blackjack Online

Are you ready to put your newfound knowledge to the test? Check out Bob Casino! Our library of online casino games contains numerous varieties of blackjack. You can play for free until you master your hit and stand strategies. When you’re confident in your skills, you can even try your hand at winning real money. Come create an account at Bob Casino today for the ultimate gambling experience.

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