When you sit down to play blackjack, you usually do so with the intention of playing the entire hand through, come what may. However, sometimes your cards are just plain bad. Some casinos will let you abandon your hand if you don't want to play it, or if you think it's a good idea that you don't. This option is called surrender, and it is a little like waving a white flag, since you're telling the casino that you're giving up on this particular hand.