Blackjack rules XIV
Surrendering is one of the most basic choice of action that a blackjack player is called to exercise in course of the game. Depending on the timing of the decision, surrender in a blackjack game may be either early or late and this is determined on the basis of how a dealer’s blackjack hand is handled. If it is an early surrender-enabled blackjack game, the player can surrender his hand long before the dealer checks his hand to find out if he had hit a blackjack. This bails out the player cheaply in case the dealer’s hand really holds a blackjack. Since it is advantageous to the player, the early surrender version of the blackjack game is extremely rare. In case it is a late surrender game, which is the common form of surrender games, a player has the time to decide whether to surrender or not until the dealer has checked his hand for a blackjack and only if he has not hit a blackjack, the player can surrender.
For an experienced blackjack player, who times his gameplay and strategies to the best of his advantage, surrender is a helpful option if used judiciously. However, inexperienced player surrender too often making it a losing proposition in the long run. It must be remembered that if someone has the chances to win 25% of the time and lose 75%, his total losses would amount to 50% of the total cash he is wagering. Now, surrendering will also mean that the player loses 50% of his bets. Therefore it is essential that the player must know properly the odds of his game and tactically decide whether to surrender or not.
Since all blackjack games don’t offer the surrender option, and when they do, mostly the late surrender game is offered to the players where the alternative can be acted upon after the dealer has checked for a blackjack hand, it is imperative that the player makes the right decision after consulting the pros and cons of the situation properly.
