Insurance in Blackjack

An option while playing the game of Blackjack is something which is called Insurance. While insurance is not normally recommended to the beginner or even the novice who is not all that familiar with it, it should be most definitely be discussed as it is a part of the game.

Best Blackjack Casinos

RankBrandUS Visit Casino Bonus Min. Deposit Deposit Time Withdrawal Time Software
Europa Casino Visit Now $2400 $/€/£20 Instant 3-5 business days Playtech
WinPalace Casino Visit Now $1000 $/€/£20 Instant 3-5 business days RTG
Jackpot City Casino Visit Now $500 $/€/£20 Instant 3-5 business days Microgaming
Rushmore Casino Visit Now $888 $/€/£20 Instant 3-5 business days RTG
Casino Action Visit Now $1250 $/€/£20 Instant 3-4 business days Microgaming
Pure Vegas Casino Visit Now $2400 $/€/£20 Instant 3-5 business days RTG
32Red Casino Visit Now $/€320 $/€/£20 Instant 3-4 business days Playtech
Casino Tropez Visit Now $/€3000 $/€/£20 Instant 3-4 business days Playtech
Casino Kingdom Visit Now $77 free $/€/£20 Instant 3-4 business days Microgaming
Titan Casino Visit Now $4000 $/€/£20 Instant 3-4 business days Playtech

The idea of Insurance is that you are betting that the dealer will have a blackjack. When the Blackjack dealer deals himself an Ace, Insurance is an option available to you as a player which allows you to place a side bet of up to half of your initial bet. In the case that a blackjack is obtained by the dealer upon revealing his hidden card, you will be paid a 2:1 ratio for you side bet and your initial bet will be taken. If the dealer does not get a blackjack, you will forfeit your side bet and may even lose your original bet too if his hand is better than yours.

In a casino, the dealer normally says "Insurance open" and after a short period of time will say "Insurance closed". It is during the duration between the two statements that players are to place half of their bet size in the insurance area on the table. When playing online, each player is asked from the right side of the virtual room to the left in either a yes/no or insurance/no insurance option.

Insurance is something that very experienced players occasionally take advantage of and especially those players who are card counters as they sometimes find instances wherein there are high enough proportions of 10-values to make it a good bet. This is, in fact, one of the biggest benefits of learning card counting - insurance is typically recommended when 'true counts' exceed +3.

Casinos freely advertise that they offer insurance. They most always have it printed on the table itself and you will always be asked by a dealer if you want insurance. You must however keep in mind the simple fact that casinos are out to make a profit and that they are not really doing you any favors by offering you this option as it is almost always in their best interest (and profit) to do so.

The Insurance option is something that the majority of players do not understand and hence, they never master how to use it. Insurance is generally thought to be a poor bet for anyone playing Blackjack unless they are well versed in all aspects of insurance bets.

Learn how and when to double down in blackjack.

4

Related Articles

On CasinoGamesPro.com you can learn how to play online and practise some of the most popular casino games like: Slot Machines, Baccarat, Blackjack, Craps, Poker and Roulette.