How To Play
The aim of the game is to build a hand of cards that is as close in value to 21 as possible but without exceeding it and going bust. If, at the end of a round, your hand is closer to 21 than the dealer’s is then you win the round.
When playing Blackjack Surrender, Aces count as either 1 or 11, face cards (Jack, Queen and King) count as 10, and number cards count as their face values. It is possible to form 21 using just two cards, and Ace and a ten card, this is called ‘Blackjack’ and it beats all other hands.
At the start of a round you need to place bets on the hand positions that you wish to play. After placing your bets click on ‘Deal’ to receive two face-up cards to each hand. At the same time, the dealer will receive one face-up card and one facedown. There are then three main options for each hand that you play, ‘Hit’, ‘Stand’ and ‘Double’. Choosing ‘Hit’ will draw another card to the hand, choosing ‘Stand’ leaves the hand as it is and if you choose ‘Double’ your bet will be doubled, you’ll receive one more card and player will move on to your next hand or the dealer.
The dealer will always draw to 16 and stand on all 17s. Furthermore, if the dealer’s face-up card is an Ace or a ten card the dealer will check for Blackjack.
At the end of a round, winning hands are paid at 2:1 except Blackjack, which is paid out at 3:2.
Features
The game takes its name from the Surrender feature. If you think that your first two cards will not lead to a strong hand then you can make use of this option. If you choose to Surrender a hand then you will receive half of your bet back and play will move on to the next hand or the dealer. You can only use the Surrender option after the first two cards are dealt, but it will ensure that you do not lose all of your money.
If your first two cards in a hand have the same value (such as a pair of 3s) then you can split them into two separate hands (by placing a second bet equal to the first). You can then play them as two independent hands giving you more chances to win. If you have split Aces then you will only receive one additional card to each Ace. If a split hand contains an Ace and a ten card then it is considered 21 rather than Blackjack.
If the dealer’s first face-up card is an Ace then the dealer will check for Blackjack. Before doing so you can take out ‘Insurance’ against the dealer having Blackjack. Insurance costs half of your initial bet and if the dealer does have Blackjack then you are paid out at 2:1.