Another option that is offered in some casinos is surrender. This only occurs when the dealer has an Ace or a Ten-value card up. If you do not like your first two cards, and believe you cannot beat the dealer, you may announce “surrender”. It is the only play you make verbally at the blackjack table, and it can work to your advantage.
There are two types of surrender – early or late. In “late surrender”, you announce your intention, but the dealer marks your bet, either with a plastic chip or he places your chips on top of your cards. If the dealer has blackjack, he takes your entire bet. If he does not have blackjack, you get half your bet back.
If you decide to surrender, and the dealer immediately takes half your bet, you have found a casino that offers “early surrender”. This is the best type of surrender because you get half your bet back whether or not the dealer has blackjack.