Blackjack surrender situations: does basic strategy get these right
Whenever I check basic blackjack strategy charts, I notice the surrender recommendations seem super rare. Like, it says to surrender only in some tough spots like 16 against dealer’s 9, 10, or ace. But online, I see arguments all the time about maybe surrendering a few other hands when it just feels like you’re completely doomed, especially when streaks are running cold. Is the chart actually optimal for those surrender calls or is there a more nuanced take?
Also wondering if the strategy changes for 6-deck versus 8-deck shoes, or if it shifts at all when playing online compared to a live dealer. I’m mostly an online roulette guy, so blackjack isn’t my first stop, but those tiny house edge moves keep calling to me. The basic charts just seem so black-and-white with surrender, but I always get the urge to fold up on more hands when things look grim. Curious what the more experienced folks think.
those rare surrender calls in basic strategy actually are the math-backed plays, not just vibes. the nuance is mostly in the deck count and rule set. like, 6-deck tweaks a few edges versus 8, but the real action is in rules (does dealer hit soft 17, etc). i know the feeling from roulette - bad run and your gut screams to switch up, but folding more often only hikes your average loss per hand in blackjack. basic feels rigid, but it’s aimed at squeezing out the smallest house edge long haul, not dodging a single ugly hand. personally, i surrender on the textbook spots and grit through the rest. has anyone here actually charted EV in those “doom” situations to prove otherwise?
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