You have already bet into the game but your hand downright sucks. At this point, you wished that there was some way for you to get rid of your god-awful hand and just move on to the next round. You can actually do that with a relatively unknown but still very useful move in blackjack - the Surrender.

What is Surrender?

Surrender is not a very popular move in blackjack because it is not very well-advertised as a move. It is a move in blackjack that earned itself quite a bit of controversy in the late 1970s when casinos tried to remove it because it cost them too much money. From that alone, you can probably see the benefit and potential of Surrendering, even if only the Late Surrender variant is offered today.

Surrender basically allows you to give up your cards to the dealer while handing over just half of your bet. It is a great form of damage control as it limits the extent of chip losses that you have to bear should you get dealt cards that are just to bad to play. It also improves the odds for the player by quite a considerable rate.

It is always wise to ask the dealer where you are playing if surrender is available before you play a hand. This is especially important if you are at a new or unfamiliar casino. This will save any embarrassment if you ask to surrender and are refused by the dealer on the grounds that it is not offered.

Again it is also wise to always know if the rule of surrender is in effect where you are playing, as many casinos that offer surrender do not advertise the fact. As it has the tendency to help or improve the players chances of not losing money where otherwise they would, it is not in the casinos interest to inform the player/s of this option!

Should You Surrender?

Because Surrender is not a very widely used option, many players are not exactly sure when to use the option of Surrender. Misusing Surrender or simply using it at the wrong time will certainly cost you. Remember that the dealer takes half your bet, and you do not get anything when you choose to Surrender.

Because you lose 50 cents for every dollar bet on a hand that is Surrendered, a good rule of thumb is to Surrender hands that have an expected value that is less than 50 cents for every dollar bet. There are, however, no clear cut rules for using the option of Surrender. It still varies from case to case whether it is proper to use Surrender or not.

You can get some general guidelines though, which outline certain situations wherein Surrender would be best. For example, Surrender would be a good option should you have a 10-6 and the dealer a 10 in six-deck blackjack because it saves you money in the long run.

Used properly, Surrender can help you save money and cut down your disadvantage against the house edge by quite a cumulative bit. Should you make a mistake in your calculations, strategy or in your judgment, you lose half your bet, which could turn out to be quite a bit of money.

Free Tip: Always ask the dealer or casino staff if surrender is available before playing.