Blackjack Insurance Bets Explained

Canadians love to play blackjack online. This fun casino game gives players a better chance at winning than other games, like slots and bingo. If you’ve ever played real-money blackjack online, you have likely been given the option to buy blackjack insurance.

A lot of gamblers don’t fully understand the concept of an insurance bet. If you’re wondering what this offer really is, you’ve come to the right page. Today, we’re going to break down everything you should know about blackjack insurance. This includes how it works, the benefits, and if it’s really worth it. Keep reading to find out more.

What Is Blackjack Insurance?

Online casinos will present insurance betting as a way for players to protect their bets. Basically, this is a side bet that players can place to prevent a big loss on their original bet. If you choose to purchase this insurance, then you won’t lose the full amount of your initial bet if the dealer has a blackjack in their hand.

When the cards for blackjack are initially dealt, you will notice one card face up in the dealer’s hand and the other card will be face down. The insurance bet will be offered when the dealer’s face card is an ace. It will not be offered with any other card.

Blackjack insurance is offered because the dealer has a 4 to 9 chance to turn up a ten or picture card. If they have a dealer’s blackjack, they automatically win.

How Does Blackjack Insurance work?

Blackjack insurance isn’t complicated. When it’s offered, you will have the option to accept or decline. If you accept, you will get to place a side bet of up to half of the wager you placed. If the dealer reveals a blackjack, you will receive back payment of 2:1.

So, how come gamblers can only place an insurance bet for half the amount? If the casino allowed players to insure more than half, they would end up losing money.

Are you still not sure how the insurance side bet works? Let’s take a look at a couple of examples. We’ll first go over how the insurance bet works with a dealer’s blackjack. Then we’ll show an example of what happens when a blackjack isn’t revealed.

Example Of Winning A Blackjack Insurance Bet

1. The player bets $10 on a game of blackjack.
2. The dealer deals and ends up with an ace facing up.
3. The player is offered an insurance bet for $5 and accepts.
4. The dealer uncovers a 10, revealing a blackjack in their hand.
5. The player will receive a cashback of $10.

Example Of Losing A Blackjack Insurance Bet

1. The player bets $10 on a game of blackjack.
2. The dealer deals and ends up with an ace facing up.
3. The player is offered an insurance bet for $5 and accepts.
4. The dealer uncovers a 7 in their hand.
5. The player now loses their insurance bet amount.
6. The dealer’s hand is closer to 21.
7. The player loses their initial $10 bet for a total loss of $15.

In another situation, the player could win this round with a hand that’s closer to 21. In this case, they would win $20. They spent $15 to get to this point, leaving them with profits of $5. This isn’t bad, but if they didn’t place the insurance bet, they would have profits of $10 on their winnings. That’s double the winnings!

When To Take Insurance In Blackjack

Blackjack insurance bets could leave players losing more money than they expected. This is why you should have a basic strategy for using insurance bets. Some people like knowing that if the dealer reveals a face card, they won’t lose their entire wager.

On the other hand, it’s risky, because if the dealer doesn’t have a blackjack and the player loses that round anyways, they lose even more money. So, when is the best time to accept an insurance bet?

Here’s a great way to look at the situation. Would you feel confident that you could beat the dealer if they don’t turn over a 10 or face card? If so, it could be a good time to place an insurance bet. The ideal number in your hand is up to you. There is still some debate on the subject. Some people recommend taking insurance if your hand is 15 or higher. Others will only take it if they have a 20 in their hand.

When To Avoid Taking Insurance In Blackjack

We recommend skipping the insurance bet unless you have a good feeling that you’re going to win. This insurance doesn’t give you a better chance of winning your bet. It’s only worthwhile if the dealer has blackjack.

Is Blackjack Insurance Worth Taking?

In most games, the insurance bet isn’t worth taking. If the dealer’s face-up card is an ace, you might think it’s a basic strategy to choose the insurance on top of your original bet. The insurance doesn’t actually cover your bet. Instead, you’re placing a side bet on the other card in the dealer’s hand. This is why you could end up losing two wagers (your original bet and the money for the insurance).

What Are The Odds For Insurance Bets?

Did you know that gamblers are more likely to win playing blackjack if they skip the betting insurance? Once the cards have been dealt, there will be 49 remaining in the deck. Only 16 of these cards could give the dealer a blackjack. The dealer has odds of 32.6% of revealing a ten or picture card.

Conclusion

Insurance may seem like a safe blackjack strategy at first, but it actually results in more losses than wins. We recommend declining the betting insurance unless you have a strong feeling that you’ll win the round if the dealer doesn’t have a blackjack. The insurance bet is simply a side bet where you bet on which card the dealer turns up. It doesn’t improve your chance of winning or covering your entire wager.