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Blackjack is a game that has a large number of different rules in place. Indian players will be well aware of the range of different options that are available to them when they begin playing. Surrender is a rule that isn’t as widely known as some of the other rules out there. What exactly is surrender and should you look out for it?
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Surrender is an option that’s available on some Blackjack games. Not all games offer the option so once you are up to speed with how surrender works, it’s important to check to make sure that the Blackjack game you choose offers it. This is because, some people use the surrender rule as a strategy when playing, if you intend to do this and choose a Blackjack title that doesn’t offer the rule, then you will be unable to do so.
The surrender option will be offered when the cards are first dealt. If a player chooses to surrender then they will be given half of their stake back, but will not be allowed to take any further part in the game. The surrender option is only offered at the start of the game. If the player has chosen to hit or taken any other actions in relation to their cards then the surrender option is removed.
Because the player gets half of their stake back it actually lowers the house edge slightly. This is because if the player surrenders at the right times, they will get back half of their stake as opposed to losing all of their stake if they continued the game and lost the hand. While obviously it’s always better to win if possible, getting half of your stake back is always much better than losing all of it.
There are a number of times when surrendering is the right choice. For the purpose of this article we will assume that the dealer will always stand on 17, even if it’s a soft 17. If the dealer hits on a soft 17 then the rules on when to surrender are slightly different.
The first time that you should surrender is if you are dealt a 16 and the dealer has a 9, 10 or an ace. This is because a 16 isn’t a good enough hand to win if the dealer stands on 17, and it’s also too risky to hit on. The only time you shouldn’t surrender on 16 is if you are dealt a pair of 8s. In this instance you should split the hand and it will then give you the opportunity to make two significantly better hands than the initial 16 you were dealt.
The second time that you should surrender is if you are dealt a 15 and the dealer is showing a card worth 10. Again, 15 is a very risky hand to hit on and as such leaves you in a difficult situation. If you surrender on this hand you will get back more of your stake over the course of 10 games than if you tried to play the hand. This is why surrendering is the right choice here.
You should always check the surrender rule when playing because sometimes the Blackjack table will limit your opportunities in other ways. While the surrender rule does cut down the house edge a little, some Blackjack games will pay out lower odds when you manage to get a Blackjack. This is why you should always check first. If you find a table that offers the full 3/2 for a Blackjack and offers the surrender rule then this is a good place to play. If it offers 5/6 then you should avoid it as the house edge is actually higher at this table.
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