The Surrender Rule in Blackjack Explained

One rule that is often available to players in certain blackjack games is ‘Surrender’. In this guide, we will be looking at exactly what the blackjack surrender rules mean and the different scenarios in which you may choose to Surrender.

What is the Surrender Rule in Blackjack?

The surrender action in blackjack is an optional rule available in some blackjack variations that will allow you to forfeit your hand and you only lose half your bet - basically surrendering your right to continue playing that particular hand.

This is considered a strategic move that can be used if you believe that you have a weak hand, which you feel has little chance of winning, and you are looking to minimise losses.

There are two types of surrender rules in blackjack:

• Early Surrender
• Late Surrender

Why you might consider surrendering in blackjack

Sometimes, you might be dealt a weak hand or one that appears to be weak in comparison to the dealer’s up-card.

In these scenarios, having an option such as Surrender could be useful to cut losses and reduce the amount you lose with your bet.

Having a good awareness of strategy can help to understand when you should and shouldn’t choose to surrender.

The Hand Signal for Surrender

If you're playing a game of blackjack at a physical casino, you might need to know the hand signal to show when you want to surrender.

To do this, use your index finger and make a horizontal line below the bet on the table.

When To Surrender in Blackjack

Here are the most common situations when you might consider choosing surrender.

You can find out why these scenarios make sense to opt for surrender below.

Facing a Dealer's Strong Upcard: Surrender is often used when the dealer's upcard is an Ace (or a 10-value card), especially if your hand is weak. In this scenario, the dealer has a high probability of having a strong hand, and possibly a blackjack. Surrendering here would prevent you from losing your entire bet.

Hard 15 or 16 vs. Dealer's 10: If you are dealt a hard 15 or 16 (a hand without an Ace), and the dealer has a 10 upcard, then the odds are against you. In this instance, surrendering could be a good option because the likelihood of improving your hand is minimal, and you're likely to go bust if you hit. Reducing your loss to half the bet could be preferable in this situation.

Pair of 8s vs. Dealer's Ace: A pair of 8s can be a difficult hand to play, especially if the dealer has an Ace. By splitting your 8s, you will have a better chance of improving at least one of the hands. However, if you choose not to split, or it isn’t an option, then surrendering is the next best option, as hitting or standing with 16 against an Ace could both end up with negative outcomes.

Late Surrender with a hard 16 vs. Dealer's 9: If late surrender is an option, then surrendering with a hard 16 against a dealer's 9 could be a good decision statistically.

Double Down vs. Dealer's Ace or 10: In a situation where you've doubled your bet, and you still have a weak hand (such as a hard 12 or 13), then it might be a good option to surrender to limit your losses. Surrendering after doubling down is often referred to as a ‘Double Down Rescue’.

In all of these cases, surrendering is often considered to be the most sensible move because all of these are situations where a loss is more likely than a win. However, the game of blackjack ultimately comes down to chance so you can't predict the next move.

Is it worth surrendering in blackjack?

Whilst this is ultimately a choice for the player to decide upon, there are some cases where data supports the decision to surrender in blackjack.

In the abovementioned scenarios, surrendering could save you money in the long run despite giving up half your stake.

However, as is the case in blackjack, there is no sure way of predicting what the dealer's face-down card will be. Therefore, you can never be so sure if surrendering will be worth it until the round has finished. That is why surrendering should be used when you are far from confident with your hand.

Early Surrender vs Late Surrender

Early surrender and late surrender are two variations of the surrender rule in blackjack - and they differ in terms of when you can choose to forfeit your hand and receive a portion (usually half) of your bet back.

Both types of surrender can be advantageous in specific situations, and, as such, understanding what they are and the differences between them can be important if you are thinking of using the Surrender option.

Early Surrender

Generally, the early surrender rule is considered to be the more favourable of the two options for players. With the early surrender option, you can choose to surrender your hand before the dealer is able to check for a blackjack. This means you can forfeit your hand and receive half of your bet back even if the dealer has a blackjack.

So, let’s have a look at an example of how early surrender works:

• You are dealt a hand of 14, and the dealer has an Ace as an upcard.
• In this situation, you think there’s a chance that the dealer may have a blackjack - which would be an automatic loss for you.
• With early surrender, you can choose to forfeit your hand at this point and get back half of your original bet.

The advantage of early surrender is that it lets you save half of your bet when facing a possible losing situation. That said, the Early Surrender option reduces the house edge by 0.62%, which is more favourable for the player.

Late Surrender

Late surrender, on the other hand, is still an option - but is considered slightly less favourable for players. With late surrender, you can only choose to surrender your hand after the dealer has checked for blackjack. If the dealer has a blackjack, you won’t have the option to surrender.

Here's an example of how late surrender rules work:

• You are dealt a hand of 16, and the dealer has an upcard of 10.

In this situation, you think that the dealer may have a strong hand - but you don’t know whether it's a blackjack.

• You continue playing, hoping the dealer doesn't have a blackjack.
• The dealer checks their hole card and reveals a blackjack.

In this scenario, you will automatically lose. When the dealer checks their cards and they don’t have blackjack, there is the option to surrender.

The Late Surrender option is less favourable for players and only reduces the house edge by a minimal amount.