When you take any form of security, it means you're taking protection against a particular risk. The same goes for blackjack insurance except that this time, whether to take it or not is debatable.
While some may deem it necessary, others think of it as the complete opposite. If you are a newbie, the following pointers will come in handy in making this tough decision.
In straightforward terms, blackjack insurance is placing a bet with certainty that the dealer will show the same. This bet is usually a separate bet from your original bet.
This bet only comes into play when the dealer is in possession of an Ace card and is usually half of your original bet. If your initial bet is $30, then the security automatically becomes $15.
Safeguarding your bet is never a challenging process. When the game begins, the player usually starts by making a blind guess about who has the better hand. Following the dealer's upcard, the payer has to decide whether to double down, hit, or stand.
If the dealer reveals an ace, the blackjack insurance bet becomes available, and you can place your bet (half of the original bet). Once you've secured your bet and the dealer shows a 10(blackjack), you automatically win your side bet.
The bet is paid out in 2:1, which means, if your security was $5, you get $10. However, if the dealer doesn't reveal a blackjack, you lose the bet, but the play continues.
Similarly, if you have blackjack, you can also safeguard it and get paid an equal amount to your wager.
If you hang around blackjack veterans, you will surely hear the phrase, "never take insurance." Well, you most certainly should never unless you have to.
Blackjack insurance may give you some wins at the start, but it's nothing but baggage in the long run.
There is only one instance where you are justified to take it. Other than that one instance, it is best if you always avoid insurance like the plague.
First things first, never take it if you are playing at a Canadian online casino. It would be best if you only made a side bet when playing at a live casino.
This is mainly because deciding whether or not to safeguard your bet needs fast and critical thinking, combined with some real card counting, the latter being impossible when playing on the internet.
If you can do some rough math and notice there are more 10s left in the deck, the dealer's chances of revealing a blackjack are high. At this point, placing a security bet is the smart thing to do.
The odds keep changing as they are dependent on two main factors
However, it's challenging for online players to keep count since the cards are shuffled right before each hand.
Another significant reason as to why you should never go for insurance is that the more the decks, the worse the winning odds get. So whenever the decks are many, never consider taking it.
If your only win relies on taking insurance, weigh your options, and only place the bet when you are playing with just a deck, and only a small number of 10s is dealt with both your counterparts and you.