In a few casinos, the player may surrender his first two cards and lose only half his bet. This means that the hand will not be played out. The dealer will collect the player's cards and exactly one half the amount the player had wagered. The other half of the wager is returned to the player. Surrender is not allowed if the dealer has a natural, in which case the player loses his whole bet. When the Atlantic City casinos first opened in the late 1970s, they did allow players to surrender before the dealer checked for a natural.

This rule is called early surrender. It is not currently available in Atlantic City, but has occasionally been offered at other casinos. (The original surrender rule is now often referred to as late surrender.) Some casinos in Europe and Asia allow early surrender against a ten, but not against an ace.

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