In general, there are two types of surrender in blackjack: If a loss is almost a certainty, it’s better to get half your money back than to lose all of it. It’s an optional rule you can take advantage of when you believe you’ll lose the hand.
Even if the dealer busts, you’ll still lose as you’ve surrendered your stake in the game. Your hand is effectively dead, and the house gets the other half of your stake. Once you’ve chosen the option, you receive half of your bet back and wait until the hand ends. It’s one of these main actions you get to make in a typical blackjack game. In other words, you get to surrender instead of hitting, standing, splitting, or doubling.
It’s an option you can use after placing your bet, receiving your two cards, seeing the dealer’s up card, and before the dealer draws new cards. The surrender rule in blackjack is an option that lets you surrender the bet you’ve already placed.