Blackjack Surrender Strategy Chart

Blackjack Strategy Chart Blackjack strategy charts are the most popular and effective way to learn basic strategy. The chart contains rules and permutations which can be directly used in any online blackjack game, as well as some land-based casinos. I am wondering why differences exist in basic strategy charts for late surrender where the dealer does not peek for blackjack. All except for one chart that I have seen do not advise surrendering with a point total under eight versus a dealer show card of ace. Blackjack basic strategy chart (www.blackjackinfo.com) Blackjack basic strategy examples. Me (35), dealer (9): My cards’ value is 8. Reading the 4 th line of the blackjack chart I am instructed to hit my hand, given the “H” under the dealer’s “9” column. Besides, whatever the dealer’s card, I must take a card. 4-Deck to 8-Deck Blackjack Strategy Introduction. To use the basic strategy, look up your hand along the left vertical edge and the dealer's up card along the top. In both cases an A stands for ace. From top to bottom are the hard totals, soft totals, and splittable hands. There are two charts depending on whether the dealer hits or stands on. On top of the blackjack strategy charts above, here are a few additional rules to remember: Surrender if you have a 16 and the dealer is showing a 10. If the table doesn’t allow surrendering, then hit.

• Appendices
• Miscellaneous
• External Links

Introduction

What is surrender in blackjack? This is a strategy in which the player may fold the hand risking only half of the bet rather than the entire amount. There are two options in terms of surrendering your hand. Late Surrender may be done after the dealer checks for blackjack and Early Surrender is possible before the dealer check. This page takes an in-depth look at the choice to surrender in blackjack. It depends on lots of things, whether the dealer takes a hole card, the number of decks, whether the dealer hits or stands on soft 17, and sometimes the composition of the player's hand.

The purpose of this page is to give exact advice to the basic-strategy player on when to surrender. When the tales show a total of 16, this refers to either a 10+6 or 9+7 total. The situation of two eights has a separate row when surrender is appropriate.

Late Surrender

Late surrender means that the player may surrender his hand and lose half his bet only after the dealer checks for blackjack. The following basic strategy tables show when to surrender (Y=yes, N=no) depending on the player's total, dealer's up card, and the number of decks. The right two columns represent a dealer ace according to whether the dealer stands (S17) or hits (H17) a soft 17.

Blackjack Surrender Strategy Chart Wizard

Late Surrender — One Deck — Total Dependent

Player's Hand	Dealer's Card
	__9__	__10__	A (S17)	A (H17)
15	N	N	N	Y
16	N	Y	Y	Y
17	N	N	N	Y

Late Surrender — Two Decks — Total Dependent

Player's Hand	Dealer's Card
	__9__	__10__	A (S17)	A (H17)
15	N	Y	N	Y
16	N	Y	Y	Y
17	N	N	N	Y

Late Surrender — Four or More Decks — Total Dependent

Player's Hand	Dealer's Card
	__9__	__10__	A (S17)	A (H17)
15	N	Y	N	Y
16	Y	Y	Y	Y
17	N	N	N	Y

The exact card composition of the player's hand can sometimes make it advantageous to deviate from the basic strategy tables above. The following tables show when exactly to surrender given the player's total, dealer's up card, and number of decks. If the dealer has an ace up then the strategy often depends on whether the dealer hits (H17) or stands (S17) on a soft 17.

One Deck — Late Surrender — Composition Dependent

Player's Hand	Dealer's Card
	9	10	A (S17)	A (H17)
14	Never	7+7	Never	7+7
15	Never	9+6,10+5	Never	9+6,10+5
16	Never	Always	10+6	9+7,10+6
17	Never	Never	Never	10+7

Two Decks — Composition Dependent — Late Surrender

Player's Hand	Dealer's Card
	9	10	A (S17)	A (H17)
15	Never	9+6, 10+5	Never	9+6, 10+5
16	Never	Always	Always	9+7,10+6
8+8	Never	Never	Never	*
17	Never	Never	Never	Always

*: In a double-deck game, when the dealer hits a soft 17, surrender 8+8 vs. A only if double after a split is not allowed.

Four or Six Decks — Composition Dependent — Late Surrender

Player's Hand	Dealer's Card
	9	10	A (S17)	A (H17)
15	Never	9+6, 10+5	Never	Always
16	Always	Always	Always	Always
8+8	No	No	No	Yes
17	Never	Never	Never	Always

The composition-dependent eight-deck strategy is the same as the total-dependent strategy. In other words, the composition of the hand never matters, for purposes of surrender.

Early Surrender

Early surrender is a seldom found rule in which the player may forfeit his hand and half his bet before the dealer checks for blackjack. The strategy is different from late surrender only when the dealer has a ten or ace showing. Following is a list for when to take early surrender against a dealer 10 or ace, regardless of the rules, except as noted.

• Dealer ace Vs. hard 5-7
• Dealer ace Vs. hard 12-17
• Dealer ace Vs. pair of 3's, 6's, 7's, or 8's.
• Dealer 10 Vs. hard 14-16
• Dealer 10 Vs. pair of 7's or 8's.

• Do not surrender 10 Vs. 4+10 or 5+9 in single deck
• Do not surrender 10 Vs. 4+10 in double deck
• Surrender dealer ace against pair of 2's if dealer hits soft 17.
• Do not surrender 8,8 vs 10 in single deck when double after split is allowed.

Internal Links

Written by: Michael Shackleford

Let’s face it, sometimes we are just having an off day, with bad hand after bad hand. And sometimes, surrendering is our best bet; an occasionally viable tactic in games of blackjack which allow the player to do so. Surrendering, as we explain in our glossary of blackjack terms, refers to the offer in some games styles of blackjack (mainly American versions) which allows players to forfeit their hand in the current round and get back half of their original wager. The option to do so is offered by some land-based casinos, and the majority of online casinos.

If you have a hard hand of 14 and the dealer has an Ace on show, surrendering in order to retrieve half of your bet instead of quite possibly losing it all can be appropriate. Surrendering is a feasible option if you are dealt a poor hand and the dealer has a strong hand, but it has to be used in the right situation. Otherwise, it’s money down the drain that could have won.

Available Surrendering Options

Surrendering is only available as a first decision of a two-card hand. It is usually only offered in hole-card games (but see below for variations), where the dealer draws two cards and may or may not peek at the hole (face down card), before players make their decisions. But in general, surrendering will usually only be available directly after the dealer has checked for blackjack.

The variations we speak of are early and late surrender. Late surrender, explained above, refers to being able to do so in hole card games, only after the dealer has checked for a blackjack. It is the most common option at all types of casinos. If the dealer checks and does indeed have a blackjack, surrendering is thus made unavailable.

Alternatively, early surrender is when you are allowed to surrender before the dealer checks (or if the dealer doesn’t check at all) for blackjack in hole-card games, or in a no-hole-card game, where the dealer does not draw a second card until all players have acted. As you can see, early surrender is significantly more favourable to the player than late surrender is, which is why early surrender is not often available.

When to Consider the Move

As mentioned above, surrendering can be an appropriate play if used at the right time. It may seem like a cowardly move which is not progressive or beneficial in the long-run, and it is if not used correctly: you’re wasting hands that have the potential to win. Only consider surrendering as a last possible resort on the very worst hands.

Blackjack Surrender Strategy Chart Free

There are only a few hands in which surrendering can be considered (late surrender). If you are lucky enough to be playing with the rare early surrender option, this allows for more flexibility and you might consider surrendering medium to low strength hands if the dealer holds an Ace (and the hole-card has not yet been examined).

Poor Hands to Consider for Early Surrender

• You hold a total of 12 to 17 against a dealer’s Ace.
• You hold a total of five to seven against a dealer’s Ace.
• You hold a total of 14 to 16 and the dealer has a Ten.
• You hold a total of 16 and the dealer shows a Nine.

Poor Hands to Consider for Late Surrender

• Your hand totals a hard-15 and the dealer holds a 10-valued card or an Ace.
• Your hand totals a hard-16 and the dealer holds a Nine, 10-valued card or Ace.
• Your hand totals a hard-17 and the dealer holds an Ace.

Blackjack Surrender Strategy Chart Template

How to Surrender in Blackjack

Blackjack Surrender Strategy Chart

At most land-based casinos, BJ tables will have rules on a placard for players to view, but it is still worth confirming with the dealer before playing, just to make be certain surrendering (or any other option for that matter) is available. Online casinos will typically label each game with the available options which can be checked before, during and after play.

To surrender at an online table, click the corresponding surrender button. To do so at a land-based BJ table, wait until you have the dealer’s attention after receiving your cards, and verbalise your intentions (with a possible follow-up hand signal). There is no standard hand signal for surrendering, but players will usually move a finger from right to left on the table above their cards (drawing an imaginary line). We suggest making your surrendering intentions clear by first saying so, because signalling a surrender with your hands can be sometimes be misinterpreted as a hit, so verbalisation is really the best way to go.

Blackjack Surrender Strategy Chart Example

Once recognised, the dealer will remove your cards from the table, take half your bet and return the other half to you. Essentially, you have forfeited the opportunity to play out your hand and the casino keeps half of your bet while the other half acts as a push/stand-off/tie; whatever you want to call it.