Late
surrender is probably the least well-known
rule of
blackjack. While the four options everyone knows about are
hit,
stand,
double down, and
split, there is a fifth option in which
you
surrender your hand after receiving your inital two cards and after the dealer has checked for blackjack (surrendering before that check is
early surrender, which is very very
very rarely offered). The dealer ends your hand, as if you had busted, but instead
of the house getting your entire bet, they only get half.
This is a tricky thing. In a normal hand of blackjack (outside of surrendering),
you can lose your bet, retain your bet (
push), or double your bet. You
want to
surrender only when you will win the hand you have been dealt less
than 25% of the time. Why? Lets say that
probability tells us
you will win a certain hand exactly 25% of the time. So, 25% of the
time you double your money, and 75% of the time you lose all your money.
(25% * 2) + (75% * 0) = a 50% return of your money--exactly what surrendering
gives you.
In a game of blackjack with standard
table rules (dealer hits on soft 17,
six decks, you can double after you split), the following are the hands (and
the ONLY hands) you will want to surrender on:
A hard 17 when the dealer is showing an
ace.
A hard 16 other than a pair of eights when the dealer is showing a 9, a 10, a
picture card, or an ace.
A hard 16 that is a pair of eights when the dealer is showing an ace.
A hard 15 when the dealer is showing a 10, a
picture card, or an ace.
"Hard" simply means that your hand does not contain an ace--although it might
not seem like it, having an ace and a six is a substantially better hand
than having a ten and a seven and so you would not want to surrender in the
former case. Similarly, having a pair of eights is better than having
a ten and a six, and so you will want to surrender the pair in less situations.
Many
casinos will not allow surrender, or if they do, it may only be available
in their
high roller room. They might tell you it's to not confuse
the average player with uneccesary options, but it's really just to increase
the house's chance of winning. The house will also tell you never to
surrender, but they're completely wrong and just trying to
take your money
anyway, so who are you going to trust, them or me? I thought so. On average, surrendering
correctly during one full hour of blackjack will save you half of one bet
you would've otherwise lost. It may not seem like a lot, but it adds
up. So, always be sure to ask your friendly
dealer if surrender (and
other quirky options, like the ability to draw multiple cards after splitting
aces) is available at the table. Even if it's not, it will establish
you to the dealer as a player who's
worth their salt and make for a better
gaming atmosphere.
Oh, and if you get a blank look from your dealer because he doesn't know
what surrendering is, I highly suggest you find another table--or preferably
another
casino.
For more information about blackjack and how to (almost) beat the sytem,
see
Pyrogenic's excellent writeup under
How to improve your chances of
winning at blackjack.