When Should You Surrender in Blackjack?

• Surrendering in blackjack means you forfeit your hand to recover half your wager and curb the house edge.
• There are many starting hands where you should surrender in blackjack, especially if the dealer has a 10 or Ace up.
• You can surrender before the dealer checks for blackjack, which is called an early surrender. Or you can surrender after the dealer checks for blackjack, which is called a late surrender.

There are many strategic choices to make in the game of blackjack that can help you curb the house edge or increase your chances of winning a hand. One strategy is the surrender, which allows you to save half your wager when you don’t think you’re going to win the hand.

In general, you should consider surrendering when the dealer’s up card is a 10 or an Ace. But your hand total, the number of decks in play, and house rules for the dealer to hit on a soft 17 can also influence whether you should surrender. Let’s explore when you should surrender while playing blackjack.

What Does It Mean To “Surrender” in Blackjack?

To surrender in blackjack means you forfeit your hand. You can only surrender based on the first two cards you’re dealt; there is no surrender option once you start hitting. Choosing to surrender instead of hit, split, or stand can help you recover half of your wager instead of losing the whole bet if the dealer wins the hand. The choice to surrender often comes up when the dealer has an Ace or a 10 showing.

There are two versions of a surrender:

Early Surrender

An early surrender is when you forfeit your hand before the dealer checks for blackjack. This move reduces the house edge by up to 0.6%. The return to player (RTP) rate increases by 0.39% when you surrender when the dealer has an Ace, and it gets boosted by 0.24% when the dealer has a 10.

This blackjack move isn’t typically allowed in land-based casino games because of the decreased house edge. But you may be able to find some online blackjack tables that let you use the early surrender. Just be sure to review the table rules before playing as there may be some stipulations as to when you’re actually able to use this surrender.

Late Surrender

A late surrender is when you forfeit your hand after the dealer checks their hand for blackjack. This move only reduces the house edge by between 0.05% and 0.1%, much less than the early surrender. That’s why it’s more commonly accepted at both land-based and online casinos.

When To Surrender While Playing Blackjack

There are many situations in which you should surrender to decrease the house edge and mitigate your losses when the dealer starts with an Ace or 10 up card. Let’s break down when you should use early surrender, when you should use late surrender, and when you should surrender based on the composition of your starting hand.

When To Use an Early Surrender

Remember, you can only early surrender before the dealer has checked their hand for blackjack.

Let’s say the dealer has a 10. Here are some hands you should consider surrendering:

• 14, 15, 16
• Pair of 7s
• Pair of 8s (single-deck version of blackjack only)

In another hand, the dealer has an Ace showing. Consider surrendering these hands:

• Hard 5, 6, or 7
• 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17
• Pairs of 3s, 6s, 7s, or 8s

Now if the dealer has a soft 17 and they have to keep hitting, make sure to surrender your 4 for the best odds.

When To Use a Late Surrender

In general, it’s best to late surrender a hand that you have less than a 50% chance of winning against the dealer’s up card. It’s typically best to surrender a 14, 15, or 16, but this can depend on a few factors, including whether house rules dictate that a dealer hit on a soft 17 and how many decks are used to deal the game.

If the dealer has a 9 or higher showing, surrender that 16 if you’re playing with at least four decks.

If the dealer has a 10 up, you should surrender a 15 or 16. However, if you’re playing a single-hand game, play out that 15.

Let’s say the dealer has an Ace, and house rules say they stand on 17. Surrender your 16. But if house rules say the dealer hits on a soft 17, surrender a 15, 16, or 17.

When To Surrender Based on Composition Dependence

The previous situations only accounted for the total of your cards, but there is a bit of extra strategy involved when you take into consideration the composition of your hand, or the value of each card you’re holding. For instance, you can make a vastly different choice for a 15 based on whether you’re dealt a 9-6 versus an 8-7. In a single-deck version of blackjack, you could play out the 8-7 hand, but you might be better off surrendering the 9-6. But surrendering also depends on how many decks are in play.

You can really get into the weeds with composition dependence strategy, so it may be best to leave it to the really seasoned players. In fact, beginner blackjack players can do a lot for your blackjack strategy just by sticking to the above scenarios that aren’t composition dependent.

How To Surrender in Blackjack (Land-Based vs. Online Casinos)

Put away your white flags — they’re no good at any casino when you want to surrender in blackjack. There are a few ways to indicate that you want to surrender a hand, but it depends on the casino you’re at.

Land-based casinos vary on the proper way to indicate a surrender. Some allow you to use a simple hand signal: Draw a horizontal line behind your bet. Others want you to do the hand signal and verbally announce that you’re surrendering. But there are some that require you to just say that you want to surrender, no hand signals allowed.

What’s more, the rules and etiquette for surrendering aren’t often advertised at a physical blackjack table in a brick-and-mortar casino. Worst-case scenario is to ask the dealer whether late or early surrender is allowed and how they want you to signal a surrender.

At an online casino, there will be a button labeled “surrender” for you to press. Simple enough. But always check the blackjack game’s rules for any stipulations regarding the surrender, such as card compositions you’re not allowed to surrender.
Brush up on other blackjack strategies with our online guide to blackjack, and check out the reviews for New Jersey’s top online casinos to find the blackjack tables that are right for your game style.

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