Lesson description
Nobody likes to surrender, but as Mr Blackjack shows, sometimes it’s a necessity in blackjack. Learn how basic strategy’s advice on surrender can save you money.
Surrender is probably the most misunderstood move in blackjack. The idea of choosing to lose money over persevering with a bad hand means few players choose to make this move. However, surrender can actually save you money in the long run if you play your cards right.
Surrendering is also a part of basic strategy. Every player will encounter moments in blackjack games when you are in a terrible spot and your odds of making a decent hand are very low. During these occasions, it is sometimes better to give up half you bet in order to save the other half, otherwise known as surrender.
For example, if you have a 16 and the dealer has a 10 up-card, you should surrender. You know 16 is a weak hand in blackjack, and then there's the probability of the dealer's next card having a value of 10, giving him 20.
This makes your chances of winning very low as you will need to take a card and get a 5 to beat the dealer. More than half the cards in the deck will make you bust, and the other ⅓ will make you lose, so in this case, you should surrender.
You should always surrender when you have 16 and the dealer is showing a 9-10 or Ace, and when you have 15 and the dealer is showing a 10.
So to recap, you should surrender when:
- The dealer has a nine, 10, or A and you have 16
- The dealer has 10 and you have 15
You can refer to the Casino.us strategy chart to review these rules and find other tips for learning surrender strategy.
