Ø  Insure then Surrender allowed – In some situations, you may want to insure a hand and then surrender the same hand. In a casino, this can cause some interesting conversations with the dealer or pit boss. Casinos will often argue that a hand that has been insured cannot be surrendered because it no longer exists. You might argue that insurance is purely a side bet. However, it rarely makes sense to get into an argument with casinos over relatively minor matters as it will just focus their attention on you and indicate that you have more knowledge of the game than they would like. Save your arguments for more costly situations, like mispayment of a bet.

Ø  Surrender after Split – As it says, this Blackjack rule allows a surrender even after splitting hands. You may still play the remaining hand.

Ø  Casino Surrender – If you have a two-card 20, and the dealer has a ten up but no Blackjack, then you may chose to win half your bet instead of risking a loss. Not a good bet.

Unusual Blackjack Games or Side Bets

Ø  Over/Under 13 – This Blackjack game, once gaining popularity in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, is now fading away as it can beaten by card counters. You can bet that your first two cards will total over 13 or you may bet that the first two cards are under 13. The house wins all totals of 13. Aces normally count only as one for this side bet. (Not true in all casinos.) The bets are resolved immediately after the dealer up card is shown and pay 1:1.

Ø  Red/Black – This side bet is very similar to Over/Under 13 except that you bet on whether the dealer upcard is red or black by placing a bet in the “R” or “B” circle. The dealer wins on all twos. Play is the same as with Over/Under 13 described above. This is also a beatable side bet.

Ø  Royal Match – This rule allows a different side bet on the first two cards. You may bet that your first two cards are in the same suit. If they are, the bet pays 3:1. If they are the Queen and King of the same suit, this is a Royal Match, which pays 10:1. The bet is resolved as soon as the dealer upcard is shown. There exist variations in the payoffs.

 © 2009 Norman Wattenberger