Blackjack Surrender – When to Surrender in Blackjack?
Crypto blackjack is one of the most popular games of patience and strategy. Most gamblers find this game very straightforward – you will receive two cards, and your goal is to get as close as possible to 21, without going over, to beat the dealer.
Now, enter blackjack surrender – it is an opportunity that very few blackjack tables have. In a nutshell, blackjack surrender is a twist of the traditional game that allows punters to amortize their losses by leaving a poor hand with half their bet reimbursed. So, how does the blackjack surrender rule work and is it worth it? Let’s take a look.
What Is Surrender in Blackjack?
The surrender rule in blackjack games allows you to throw away half your hand without having to choose to hit or stand. If you decide to utilize the surrender option, you will get half your bet returned, and you will sit out for the rest of the round.
This rule further reduces the house edge when you play blackjack, so no one should be surprised to see that casino games that offer this optional rule attract a large portion of punters.
In online blackjack variants, you will notice an extra button that you can use to activate this feature. On the other hand, if you play blackjack live, you will usually need to swipe a finger just behind the bet to notify the dealer of your intention to surrender.
Is Using the Surrender Rules Worth It?
The surrender options can be a good feature in crypto blackjack if you have a weak hand like 12, 13, 14, or 15, with the dealer showing an Ace or any other 10-valued card. You are also best advised to use surrender in blackjack if you have a pair of eights and the dealer shows an Ace or a 10-valued card.
Many players don’t fancy the surrender feature, as they look at losing half their bet as an inadequate option. Nonetheless, surrender in blackjack can be quite a helpful advantage, as it gives you the chance to make your full bets count by committing them to strong hands, and it can also make your bankroll last longer, very helpful in the long term!
How to Play Blackjack Surrender
Step 1
Register at Cryptorush
Playing Blackjack Surrender with crypto will open up new possibilities – ones you cannot normally experience at traditional casinos. So, complete the short registration process at Cryptorush and you are ready to go.
Step 2
Deposit into Your Account
You can now choose one of the available payment methods and make your first deposit. A wide plethora of cryptocurrencies are available for transactions, so you won’t be short of options.
Step 3
Join a Blackjack Table
Now, it is time to choose a blackjack game with the surrender rule and wait for the round to start. Each player will receive two face-up card, while the dealer gets one face-up and the other face-down.
Step 4
Use the Surrender Rule
Now, if you have a weak hand, it might be the best time to use the blackjack surrender option. Of course, you need to hope that the dealer does not have a natural blackjack, after which you lose the round.
When to Surrender in Blackjack?
It is important to note that the surrender rule may be slightly different, depending on the number of decks in blackjack left in play.
There isn’t a universal percentage that will determine when you should surrender, but surrendering a hard 16 against the dealer’s 9, 10, or an Ace can see you recoup about 75% of your bets in the long term. Moreover, surrendering a hard 15 against the dealer’s 10 can help you get back about 60% of your bets in the long run as well.
Early Surrender
Early surrender in blackjack allows you to surrender your hand and lose half your bet before the dealer takes a hole card. With this option, you can surrender your hand if the dealer shows an Ace or a 10-value upcard before the dealer checks for blackjack on the table. By taking this option, you accept that you won’t play the rest of the hand, and as you can imagine, early surrender can be advantageous in some situations when you have a weak hand.
When it comes to the house edge, the early surrender rule will reduce it by 0.08%, which is very welcome for the vast majority of crypto punters. That is why, it is commonly accepted that early blackjack is a much more favorable rule for crypto casino players than late surrender. So, the basic strategy for early surrender if you play a multiple-deck blackjack game would roughly go as follows.
| Your Hand | Dealer’s Card | Surrender |
|---|---|---|
| Hard 5-7, including 3s | Ace | Yes |
| Hard 12-17, including 6s, 7s, and 8s | Ace | Yes |
| Hard 14-16, including 7s and 8s | 10 | Yes |
| Hard 10-6 and 9-7, without 8s | 9 | Yes |
Note that early surrender is not your only option when playing this game. Splitting in blackjack is also at your disposal, and we suggest you always split aces and use this option whenever the dealer has 4, 5, or 6.
Late Surrender
Late surrender, on the other hand, is available after the dealer takes a look at their hole card and when they show an Ace or a 10, to see whether they have blackjack. If the dealer hits blackjack, then note that the surrender option is no longer in play, and you will lose your bet – unless you also have a natural blackjack.
Another big difference between early and late surrender is that the latter is not as widely available as the former. Moreover, be aware that you will sometimes need to place a bet before you can surrender your hand.
As for the optimal strategy for the late blackjack surrender rule, it is quite similar to the early one. You are better off surrendering hard 15 and 16 against the dealer’s 9, 10, or an Ace, as well as soft 17 and 18 against the dealer showing the same cards.
For any other hands and cards, we advise you not to even think about surrendering, as the chance of winning is much greater than losing. Here is a basic chart about how the late surrender option would work in practice.
| Your Hand | Dealer’s Card | Surrender |
|---|---|---|
| Hard 16 | 9, 10, or Ace | Yes |
| 8, 8 | 9, 10, or Ace | No |
| Hard 15, without 8,7 (unless you play an 8-deck blackjack game) | 10 | Yes |
If you decide to use the late surrender feature when you play blackjack, it will theoretically reduce the house edge by about 0.07% – but only for multiple-deck games. Reducing the house edge by any percentage is always a step in the right direction for online casino players!
Blackjack Surrender Chart
As you can see, the surrender rule in blackjack is very straightforward, so even novices won’t struggle to understand it. Surrendering is not a widespread option in blackjack games, and it is only best suited for a few situations, so here is the full blackjack strategy chart where you can see all your different options – including surrender.
| Your Hand | Dealer’s Hand | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | A | |
| 8 | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H |
| 9 | H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H |
| 10 | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | H | H |
| 11 | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H |
| 12 | H | H | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
| 13 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
| 14 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | H | H |
| 15 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | H | SUR | H |
| 16 | S | S | S | S | S | H | H | SUR | SUR | SUR |
| 17 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
| A,2 | H | H | H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H |
| A,3 | H | H | H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H |
| A,4 | H | H | D/H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H |
| A,5 | H | H | D/H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H |
| A/6 | H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | H | H | H | H | H |
| A,7 | S | D/S | D/S | D/S | D/S | S | S | H | H | H |
| A,8 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
| 2,2 | P/H | P/H | P | P | P | P | H | H | H | H |
| 3,3 | P/H | P/H | P | P | P | P | H | H | H | H |
| 4,4 | H | H | H | P/H | P/H | H | H | H | H | H |
| 5,5 | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | D/H | H | H |
| 6,6 | P/H | P | P | P | P | H | H | H | H | H |
| 7,7 | P | P | P | P | P | P | H | H | H | H |
| 8,8 | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P |
| 9,9 | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | S | S |
| 10,10 | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S |
| A,A | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P |
- H – Hit
- S – Stand
- P – Split
- D/H – Double down if possible/otherwise hit
- D/S – Double down if possible/otherwise hit
- P/H – split if double down after split if possible/otherwise hit
- SUR – Surrender
Note that using the basic blackjack strategy, including surrender, is never a guarantee that you will come out with hefty wins. It just serves as a general guideline to follow to boost your odds of securing a win, but you need to memorize it perfectly to implement it correctly
In that line, blackjack surrender is not simply giving up on your hand and getting nothing in return. On the contrary, it is a very strategic move that you can use when you recognize you have a weak hand and a big likelihood of losing. As stated above, concluding the blackjack game prematurely can help you retrieve half your initial bet – unless the dealer has a blackjack. By incorporating the best blackjack strategies for surrendering the right way, you will surely make your bankroll last longer, thus prolonging your blackjack gambling adventure
Test This Blackjack Strategy at Cryptorush
If you are already convinced by the appeal of the online crypto blackjack games with surrender, then you are right where you need to be! Playing with crypto will enhance your overall blackjack gambling endeavor, so all that stands in your way is a short registration process at Cryptorush. Register now, find blackjack games in the game lobby, select your bet size and start playing!
Remember, the blackjack surrender rule can prolong your bankroll in the long term if used correctly, so memorize the chart and implement it!
FAQs
Is the blackjack surrender option worth it?
If used correctly, then the blackjack surrender rule is more than worth it. Make sure to understand and memorize the surrender chart to know when to use it in the most optimal way when playing crypto blackjack.
Do I lose money when using surrender in blackjack?
Well, if you look at it black and white, then yes – you lose half your bet if you surrender in blackjack. However, you need to understand that if you have a weak hand, then surrendering is the best option in the long term.
Are blackjack surrender games the same as other blackjack variants?
Yes, they are. The table layout is the same as in traditional blackjack, and all bets need to be made before the dealer hands out cards to players. Punters can still hit, stand, split, double down, etc. in accordance with the cards they hold.