AlexWins
Member
Alright, so you’re sitting at the blackjack table, the dealer flips an Ace, and they offer you insurance. What’s the deal with that? Let’s break it down.
Insurance in blackjack is basically a side bet. If the dealer has an Ace showing, you can bet half your original wager as “insurance” against the dealer hitting blackjack (a natural 21 with their hole card being a 10-value card). If the dealer does have blackjack, the insurance pays 2:1, which means you break even on your original bet. If not, you lose the insurance bet and continue playing your hand as usual.
Now, the big question: should you take it?
From a purely mathematical perspective, it’s a no. The odds are stacked in the house's favor because there are only so many 10-value cards left in the deck, and they’re not enough to justify the insurance bet over time. Even if you’re counting cards (which most of us aren’t pros at), it’s still a risky proposition.
Personally, I’ve taken insurance a couple of times when I was feeling lucky, but I don’t make it a habit. For me, blackjack is about playing strategically and minimizing losses—not throwing extra chips into a bet that’s unlikely to pay off.
So unless you have a specific reason or strategy to back it up, I’d recommend skipping insurance and focusing on playing your hand smartly instead. What about you guys? Any fans of taking insurance, or are we all just collectively yelling “no thanks” at the dealer?
Insurance in blackjack is basically a side bet. If the dealer has an Ace showing, you can bet half your original wager as “insurance” against the dealer hitting blackjack (a natural 21 with their hole card being a 10-value card). If the dealer does have blackjack, the insurance pays 2:1, which means you break even on your original bet. If not, you lose the insurance bet and continue playing your hand as usual.
Now, the big question: should you take it?
From a purely mathematical perspective, it’s a no. The odds are stacked in the house's favor because there are only so many 10-value cards left in the deck, and they’re not enough to justify the insurance bet over time. Even if you’re counting cards (which most of us aren’t pros at), it’s still a risky proposition.
Personally, I’ve taken insurance a couple of times when I was feeling lucky, but I don’t make it a habit. For me, blackjack is about playing strategically and minimizing losses—not throwing extra chips into a bet that’s unlikely to pay off.
So unless you have a specific reason or strategy to back it up, I’d recommend skipping insurance and focusing on playing your hand smartly instead. What about you guys? Any fans of taking insurance, or are we all just collectively yelling “no thanks” at the dealer?
