Do You Take Insurance In Blackjack
There are two possible scenarios when you take insurance. If the dealer indeed has a blackjack and you do not, you lose your original stake but win the insurance bet at casino odds of 2 to 1, i.e. You end up breaking even for this round. Provided that the dealer does not have a ten-value card in the hole, you lose the insurance bet and play on. Most people that do take insurance do it when their hand is good (but really insurance means do you think the dealer has blackjack and should never rely on your own hand). Insurance is the single.
Blackjack is popular because it’s a game of skill with a low house edge and a non-competitive relationship between the players. It’s everyone against the house.
Because it’s so popular, blackjack has evolved throughout its history. Although the game’s rules generally favor the house, players have become so good at leveraging their skills that casinos have begun altering game options.
The most notable change to blackjack in recent years is the 6:5 payout for a blackjack, versus the older 3:2 payout. Players are not happy about this change and they look for tables that pay better odds.
1 – Focus on Basic Strategy
It’s easy to learn the rules of blackjack. Strategy is far more complicated than the rules.
Because less experienced players read so many articles about blackjack strategy, they often assume they that have to learn every possible strategy in the book. In reality, most of the finer points of strategy only move the needle a slight bit.
Basic strategy teaches you when you should hit and when you should stand. You don’t worry about splits, doubling, or insurance, nor do you count cards when playing basic strategy.
Regardless of the pros and cons of card counting, it won’t do you any good if you haven’t mastered basic strategy. If you’re still checking a strategy card or not sure of what to do, you’re still learning. There’s no need to reach too far.
Using basic strategy wins most of the money in blackjack for both the players and the house. In fact, the rules of the game simplify the decisions for the dealer. She hits or stands based on the point counts in her hand.
The player’s advantage is being able to draw cards before the dealer. The dealer’s advantage is not having to draw cards until the players are done.
Basic strategy teaches you how to make the dealer’s job more difficult. Everything else depends on the cards you’re both dealt.
2 – Wait for the Cards to Be Dealt
How often do you expect to be dealt a pair of aces? Starting with a single deck of cards, the first player has a 1 in 13 (about 7.69%) chance of being dealt an ace. If the first player is dealt an ace, the probability for the next player drops to 5.88%.
If it’s just you and the dealer and you both already have aces, the probability of you being dealt an ace for your second card drops to 4%. You’re less likely to be dealt a second ace with every ace dealt.
Sitting there worrying about whether the next card is an ace or a 10 isn’t doing you any good.
You can only play the hand you’re dealt. Trying to anticipate every possible combination of cards wastes your energy and fatigues you. If you’re fatigued or too anxious, you’re more likely to make bad choices.
3 – You Only Play Against the Dealer’s Hand
This is one of the hardest lessons to learn for many blackjack players. I’ve argued with a few friends about the “balance” of players at a table. Intuitively, it feels like things change every time someone gets up or joins the table. But that isn’t how blackjack works.
You can only play the game between you and the dealer. If you’re counting cards, then all you should care about is what the high count is. Regardless of whether there are one or four other players at the table, all you need to know is how many high cards have been dealt since the last shuffle.
If you’re just playing basic strategy, then all the matters is what you see in your hand and what you see in the dealer’s hand. Your decision on whether to hit or stand depends on what you have.
If you’re sitting on 12 points and the dealer’s face card is two, what should you do? Basic strategy tells you that four cards will bust a 12 (10, jack, queen, and king) and five cards will get you to 17 or better— five, six, seven, eight, or nine.
4 – Put More Money Into Your Game
Casinos expect players to make mistakes. That’s why blackjack is more profitable for casinos than the probability studies promise. If you’re not playing a perfect game, the casino makes more money.
When you’ve mastered basic strategy, and you’re doing as well as can be expected, then you’ve reduced your personal house edge. The house edge is how much the casino expects to make from players over time, based on the rules of the game that govern the probabilities.
You have a personal house edge that depends on how much advanced strategy you use. If you’re only playing basic strategy, the house has a slightly better advantage over you than it has over an experienced player who knows every good strategic decision by heart.
Rather than pushing yourself into making risky decisions you’re not ready for, you can improve your game by betting a little more when you’re on a winning streak.
When Do You Take Insurance In Blackjack
An advantage player or card counter raises the bet when the count favors him. When only playing by basic strategy, you don’t try to predict when you’re more likely to be dealt a face card. Basic strategy is as close to playing like a dealer as a player can or should get.
When you’re ahead, you should raise the stakes in your game and keep playing that way as long as your bankroll doesn’t drop abruptly.
By wagering more, you’ll win more when you do win. If you start out betting the table minimum, then double that when you’re 50% ahead of your original stake. If you drop down to your original stake, then drop back to playing the table minimum.
How much you wager doesn’t affect how the cards are dealt, but it will influence your state of mind. Don’t bet so much money on a hand that you start feeling anxious. Bet on your confidence level.
5 – Ignore All Come-Ons
The house will do whatever it can to separate you from your money. If they can’t win the game consistently, the next best thing for them to do is sell you more games… In other words, don’t play progressive blackjack.
Just about any other side bet is also considered suspect. The chances of winning will be low and, if you’re betting against yourself, the payout usually won’t even be high enough to matter. There’s only one special case to think about.
The dealer may offer you insurance if she’s sitting on a blackjack. If the dealer calls blackjack right away, there’s no chance of taking insurance. Check the table rules to see if insurance is offered.
Insurance is a side bet equal to half your initial wager. If you put down $50, then insurance costs you $25. You may come out ahead, but the idea of insurance is to protect as much of your wager as possible rather than win extra money.
Beginning players often take insurance when offered by the dealer. This is a side bet that may protect you when the dealer has a possible blackjack. Even so, despite all its shining promises, insurance is considered a bad bet by most experienced players.
Should You Ever Take Insurance?
Advantage players may decide to take insurance when the count is high.
When following basic strategy, some players who watch the table may decide to take insurance if they see few or no 10-count cards in front of other players. The more players there are at a table with low cards, the more likely the dealer has a high card in the hole.
If you’re not yet aware enough of these things to think about them during play, then don’t take insurance. You’re more likely to waste your money than save any.
6 – Choose Your Table Wisely
You don’t have to pretend to be Indiana Jones looking for the Holy Grail, but if you walk into a casino with several blackjack games, then compare the rules carefully.
If you’ve got a 3:2 table, that may be a better place to sit than all the 6:5 tables. But study the table rules carefully. There may be a hidden catch. You may have to sit at a second-choice table if your first choice is filled up.
When you’re playing blackjack online, you have far more choices. You may prefer live dealer blackjack to the computer dealers, but your decision should ultimately be based on the rules and payback percentages.
If you don’t know off the top of your head which rules work best for you, then print them out and study them carefully. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of being able to split or not split twice, etc.
7 – Keep Practicing
If you’re not playing free online blackjack games, you should definitely consider it. This may not be the best way to replace your day job, but every great blackjack player in history has one thing in common with all the others—they spent a lot of time practicing.
Some people practice memorizing strategy. Some people practice reciting the rules. Do whatever works best for you.
Don’t forget to keep track of your practice sessions and your progress. Don’t just play the game without a plan of action.
Conclusion
If blackjack were easy, anyone could beat the casino more often than not. And if that were the case, the casinos would either change the game or drop it completely. The fact that you can still play blackjack everywhere just proves that it’s not as easy a game as enthusiasts like to make it sound.
You need to understand the rules you’re playing by, you need to know which strategies work for the rules you’re playing by, and you need to practice.
Should You Ever Take Insurance In Blackjack
Beyond that, it’s about how smart your choices are. Make good choices, and you’ll be happier with your blackjack game.