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A proper blackjack surrender strategy is critical when playing at casinos that offer surrender. Many players surrender way too often and end up costing themselves more money than they would if they just ignored the surrender option altogether. The good news for you is that proper surrender strategy isn’t particularly difficult. Blackjack Surrender Strategy Chart In order to achieve the best theoretical return-to-player percentage when you play Blackjack Surrender, you need to follow the strategy illustrated below. Still, with optimal strategy there will be a house edge of 0.38% which you can decrease and even overcome if you pick a nice bonus which is usable on the game. The Blackjack Basic Strategy Engine above provides a simple way to memorize a variety of different profitable decisions, such as when to split, double, surrender, hit, or stand. A standard basic strategy chart can only provide you with the strategy for one set of rules, such as dealer hits on soft 17, limiting your mastery to just one game. BLACKJACK STRATEGY CHARTS The color-coded strategy chart contains the same information as the black-and-white table except it presents the strategy in the form of a color-coded strategy chart matrix. (The reason is that some players find it easier to learn the basic strategy with a blackjack strategy chart.). Late surrender blackjack basic strategy chart from the Blackjack Review Network. Includes the two-card composition dependent strategy. In the game above, the first thing you need to do when you use Blackjack Surrender is to set the currency value of the currency.
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 soft 17.
Other basic strategy rules.
- Never take insurance or 'even money.'
- If there is no row for splitting (fives and tens), then look up your hand as a hard total (10 or 20).
- If you can't split because of a limit on re-splitting, then look up your hand as a hard total, except aces. In the extremely unlikely event you have a pair of aces you can't re-split and drawing to split aces is allowed, then double against a 6, otherwise hit.
If you play a mixture of six-deck games, some where the dealer hits a soft 17, and some where he stands, and you only wish to memorize one strategy, I would recommend you memorize the one where the dealer stands on soft 17. The cost in errors due to playing the wrong strategy is 2.3 times higher playing a stand on soft 17 game, with the hit on 17 strategy, than vise versa.
Basic Strategy in Text
For the benefit of my blind readers, here is the above strategy in text form, when the dealer stands on soft 17 and surrender is allowed. To use the strategy, start at the top, and follow the first rule that applies.
Surrender
- Surrender hard 16 (but not a pair of 8s) vs. dealer 9, 10, or A, and hard 15 vs. dealer 10.
Split
- Always split aces and 8s.
- Never split 5s and 10s.
- Split 2s and 3s against a dealer 4-7, and against a 2 or 3 if DAS is allowed.
- Split 4s only if DAS is allowed and the dealer shows a 5 or 6.
- Split 6s against a dealer 3-6, and against a 2 if DAS is allowed.
- Split 7s against a dealer 2-7.
- Split 9s against a dealer 2-6 or 8-9.
Double
- Double hard 9 vs. dealer 3-6.
- Double hard 10 except against a dealer 10 or A.
- Double hard 11 except against a dealer A.
- Double soft 13 or 14 vs. dealer 5-6.
- Double soft 15 or 16 vs. dealer 4-6.
- Double soft 17 or 18 vs. dealer 3-6.
Hit or Stand
- Always hit hard 11 or less.
- Stand on hard 12 against a dealer 4-6, otherwise hit.
- Stand on hard 13-16 against a dealer 2-6, otherwise hit.
- Always stand on hard 17 or more.
- Always hit soft 17 or less.
- Stand on soft 18 except hit against a dealer 9, 10, or A.
- Always stand on soft 19 or more.
As I've said many times, the above strategy will be fine under any set of rules. However, for you perfectionists out there, here are the modifications to make if the dealer hits a soft 17.
- Surrender 15, a pair of 8s, and 17 vs. dealer A.
- Double 11 vs. dealer A.
- Double soft 18 vs. dealer 2.
- Double soft 19 vs. dealer 6.
My thanks to Kelly for putting together the above text strategy.
Written by:Michael Shackleford
gregr21
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. However, the basic strategy chart on the Wizard of Odds web page does advise surrender on 5-7 against a dealer ace. Does anyone know which is correct and why?
AxiomOfChoice
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. However, the basic strategy chart on the Wizard of Odds web page does advise surrender on 5-7 against a dealer ace. Does anyone know which is correct and why?
No it doesn't. I assume you are looking at the H17 chart, where it advises you to surrender 15-17 (NOT 5-7) against an ace.
gregr21
Here is the link I f you select one deck, surrender allowed with any dealer up card, and no peek/no hole card (European), then you will see this.
AxiomOfChoice
Oh, no hole card. That's not blackjack :)
If the Wizard's strategy says that it's right, it's right. It makes sense for no hole card.
Can you actually find a game with this combination of rules?
If the Wizard's strategy says that it's right, it's right. It makes sense for no hole card.
Can you actually find a game with this combination of rules?
Blackjack Surrender Strategy Chart Example
gregr21
Thank you for your response. I will go with the Wizard on this. I do not know if such a game really does exist. I developed an app for learning the basic strategy and am expanding it to include European variations. I test all combinations. Thanks again.
Blackjack Surrender Strategy Chart Free
BleedingChipsSlowly
Here is the link http://wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/strategy/calculator/ I f you select one deck, surrender allowed with any dealer up card, and no peek/no hole card (European), then you will see this.
Your original post compares late surrender, but your second post specifies 'no peek/no hole card.' Isn't that early surrender? Choose late surrender on the calculator and the 5-7 surrender goes away.“You don’t bring a bone saw to a negotiation.” - Robert Jordan, former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia
AxiomOfChoice
Thank you for your response. I will go with the Wizard on this. I do not know if such a game really does exist. I developed an app for learning the basic strategy and am expanding it to include European variations. I test all combinations. Thanks again.
I see.
Just remember that with an ace showing, no hole card, and you having two non-tens (as you must with a total of 5-7), the dealer makes a blackjack 16 times out of 49. It is going to skew the odds quite a bit (surrender is correct when your EV on the hand is less than -0.5 bets. Having almost 1/3 of the hands being automatic losers goes a long way towards getting the EV that low)
gregr21
Thank you. I understand it now.
BleedingChipsSlowly
Yup. Given the Player's Expected Return for 5-7 vs A, plus adding in the 30%+ probability the dealer pairs the A with 10 for BJ then surrender is the better deal than playing.Blackjack Surrender Strategy Chart Wikipedia
Edit: spelling
Blackjack Surrender Strategy Chart
“You don’t bring a bone saw to a negotiation.” - Robert Jordan, former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Blackjack Surrender Strategy Chart Wizard
gregr21
Blackjack Surrender Strategy Chart Sample
Thank you for this link. Very helpful.