www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Certainly I travel to CR for the lovely women, but I also love to play blackjack. One rule which I have only come across in CR is something like "Giving Up" (not sure if the term is correct) where you give up half your bet when you have a bad hand and the dealer is showing a face card or ace. Last time in SJ, I was playing with a local at the table and he said you should always use the "Giving Up" strategy when appropriate.

Can any of you CRTers give me your thoughts/advice on this strategy? Will be in SJ next month.

I think it's called "Surrender". I don't ply much blackjack, but I've seen people use it.

Surrendering is the correct term. It's allowed in most casinos worldwide. It's one of those things that you have to ask when playing in a new casino.

Personally, I never surrender unless I have a hard 16 and the dealer has a 10 or ace showing and the count is low. But that's just because I don't like to give up.

Looking at the odds, you only have a 23% chance of winning when you have a hard 16 and the dealer has a 10. Considering that, you should surrender when you have a hard 16 and the dealer has a 9, 10 or ace showing. Also, when you have a hard 15 and dealer has a 10.

here's a link to a a chart for blackjack

http://wizardofodds.com/blackjack/strategy/4deck.html

This is true for Costa Rica and Colombia but if there is any casino in Las Vegas that still allows surrender please enlighten me.

The only US-based casino I know for sure that allows surrender is the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, and even they don't advertise it.

If I recall correctly the Horseshoe in Council Bluffs, Iowa might allow it in the high-limit area but I can't recall for sure. I'll double-check that out when I'm up there in April.

Everything else that JJcastro and Rasclat posted is fact. The "WizardofOdds" website is a gold mine of information on all casino games.

If you can master the information shown on the "basic strategy" cards you'll move into the top 10% of all players because most people just won't take the time to learn it and believe in it. The basic strategy card shown on the right only has 5 differences from the one on the left but they can make a big difference. It is the one to be used in most of today's casinos.

It's called "surrender" but it shouldn't be thought of like that. It is actually a beneficial play for the player sometimes. That is why most casinos in the USA don't allow it anymore. If you can save half your bet when the odds are against you it's the smart thing to do.

You can't "muscle" the cards by staying in with a bad hand or doubling up your bet. Blackjack is not a "guessing" game, it's a "math" game. You have to respect the odds.

There are also a couple of other times you should surrender when playing "rummy", Costa Rica's version of blackjack, then the ones JJcastro listed but I'll defer to our resident blackjack/rummy expert if he chooses to chime in.


On a side note: Do you think these guys have a gambling problem?
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/fe ... oric-case/

I haven't been to Vegas recently, but I used to haunt many tables a few years back and there were a number of casinos in Vegas that offered surrendering. Mostly downtown, IIRC...

Gambling can be as addictive as any physical substance--I work with a gent who at age 55 came to work at my Postal facility after he'd lost 3 thriving Chinese restaurants due to gambling debts.You others can cite similar cases, no doubt.

_________________
"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

When did Vegas stop offering the surrender option?

Gentlemen, Google is your friend. This search took me less then 10 seconds but thanks for giving me the impetus to do the search myself.

Bear in mind most of the entries on this chart are almost 3 years old. Also I have a feeling that the few places that still offer surrender will be at the $25 and up tables.

Scroll down for the "Las Vegas Blackjack Survey":
http://wizardofodds.com/blackjack/vegas.html

You can practice here. If you make a mistake it will tell you.
http://wizardofodds.com/play/blackjack/

Funny I don't remember surrender being an option in Costa Rica

But Wit.. 10000% sure all MGM Properties in Vegas have Surrender even at $10.00 tables... since I was just there and was in 4 of them...

List includes
Mandalay Bay (Where I stayed)
Luxor
MGM
Mirage
Monte Carlo
Bellagio
Treasure Island (Soon Leaving MGM Gaming)
Excalibur
Circus Circus
NY NY

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"Success isn't having $$ it is knowing how to Spend It"

You have been a busy little poster today.

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Wit-

I live in Vegas and the only places that I am aware of that allow surrender, at least as of 2 years ago, are Palace Station and Green Valley Ranch, both of which are owned by Station Casinos, which I think are both in Chapter 11.

3P

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CR LOS or PI Come horny, Leave Happy
Being 'over the hill' is damn sure better than being under it!
I was always taught to respect my elders, but it keeps getting harder to find one.

The last time I was in CR (June 2008) surrender was still an option.

Yes, the chart I posted the link to would show that the MGM properties have surrender (Beau Rivage is also part of MGM).

TI is being sold to Phil Ruffin but they will remain part of the MGM Player's Club. They have to stay tight with MGM/Mirage to keep "Mystere" which has an exclusive contract with MGM/Mirage.
http://www.huliq.com/1/74557/phil-ruffin-buy-mgm-mirage

I'm surprised to hear about any Station properties being in Chapter 11 since they are still building new resorts. But the downturn it the economy is definitely hitting Vegas just like every where else.

Wit,

Surprise or not, here is the story.

http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?s=9786036

Also, when Station casinos went private after being public on the NYSE, it is my understanding that the owners took a whole lot of cash out the the biz. Whether they did or not, I can't say for sure, but the rumor has that they did. Possibly the bad downturn AND the removal of the once cash rich but public company is now the result of that extraction of much cash from the private company. Who knows for sure. But it does make sense.

3P

_________________
CR LOS or PI Come horny, Leave Happy
Being 'over the hill' is damn sure better than being under it!
I was always taught to respect my elders, but it keeps getting harder to find one.

Surrender option in Costa Rica blackjack

There are two kinds of surrender. Late surrender is the type that is available in most all blackjack games here in CR. This means that if you surrender your original two cards,you only lose 1/2 of your original bet.However if the dealer makes a blackjack you still lose all of your "original bet".(if you split or double down it is only 1/2 your original bet that you lose.) Some casinos allow you to "surrender" against anything except an ace. This is true at the Clarion casino. The Fiesta casino in Alajuella and the Horseshoe casino allow you to surrender against any card but you still lose all of your original bet if the dealer makes a blackjack.

The second type of surrender is called "early surrender". This is far more lucrative to the player since you still lose ONLY 1/2 of your original bet even if the dealer makes a blackjack. You won't find this type here in CR or ANYWHERE in the U.S. There are a few blackjack games in Panama that offer this option but not against an Ace. Rummy,which is an offshoot of blackjack,offers early surrender in most all games here in CR. I would only play rummy if you completely understand the variations from blackjack.