- Game
- Blackjack Surrender
- Provider
- Playtech
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Playtech’s Blackjack Surrender Review
One of the things that Playtech is known for is having a number of different blackjack games, and Blackjack Surrender has a special place on their list. This is because you can get a pretty high payout rate of more than 99.6% with correct play, and the best basic strategies aren’t that difficult to learn. This combination means that it’s also one of their most popular table games and one of the best overall bets in any given Playtech-powered online casino.
Betting and Rule Set for Blackjack Surrender
This is a six-deck game where the dealer stands on all 17s ( ), which is within the bounds of most multi-deck games online. However, the dealer will also always peek for blackjack, which means you can play much more aggressively overall. While you can double after splitting, you can’t re-split, but the main rule that gives this title its name is that both late and early surrender are available on all hands. This surrender option means that you can take back half of your wager in exchange for losing all chances of winning anything for your hand, and it can be a valuable choice in a select few situations.
The betting range for this title is pretty serious. The minimum wage is just €1 per hand, and while that might seem a bit steep to some, you have to remember that the volatility and house edge (with correct play) in this game are both extremely small, so it might be along similar lines of betting €0.25 or so on many video slots for a comparison of the average swings you’ll encounter. Moreover, the maximum is all the way up at the €2,500 per hand level, so no matter what stakes you’re comfortable with, they’ll have something that works for you.
Don’t Surrender Too Often
There is a bit of a trap in Playtech’s Blackjack Surrender game that can really catch inexperienced players or even veterans if they aren’t paying attention to a few key aspects of the game. This trap has to do with the ability to surrender. Often, when players get an opportunity to do something new, they tend to want to do it all the time just because it’s like a shiny new toy that they feel the need to try out. The problem with this approach is that it’ll get you in a lot of trouble quickly with the surrender option.
There are four specific situations where you should use this option, and you should never use it outside of these four spots. They are the following: hard 16 vs. 9, hard 16 vs. 10, hard 16 vs. A and hard 15 vs. 10. If you surrender any other time besides these four spots, then you’re not only taking a disadvantage, you’re literally giving the house money they wouldn’t have gotten from you otherwise.
Other Strategic Considerations
What’s really cool about Playtech’s Blackjack Surrender is that, other than the above notes on when exactly to use the surrender option, the rest of the possible situations in the game are pretty standard. Since they offer very liberal rules, you can play a strong, generalized blackjack strategy and pretty easily get more than a 99% payout. There are a few fringe cases that you will need to learn if you want to play perfectly, but most fairly competent (not expert) players will be able to get a strong payout rate from this game as soon as they sit down to play.