Whenever a dealer turns up an Ace, he offers an insurance bet to the players. You can make one by betting half your original bet and laying the insurance bet on the stripe in front of you. If the dealer has a 10 card, your insurance bet is paid out at 2:1. Some people go ahead with the insurance bets every time, because you can still get money if the dealer has 21. I don’t like to go for insurance bets though, since I can make more money if I win hands outright.

Do you make insurance bets?

Hahaha… insurance bets! Those are so stupid. Only players who can never win will make those bets. If they had any confidence they never would! Those are just offered because of the huge house advantage.

Insurance bets are the best options available in blackjack. See the thumb rule one should adopt while playing black jack is to protect your money not try to be aggressive and keep trying your luck. If you can protect your money in most of the games ultimately you will have good profit. It might feel conservative theory but it works for me everytime.

Unless you can count cards and the deck is very 10-heavy, you will be better off never taking insurance since the house has a high edge over 7%.

Insurance should be used smartly. Using it every time is not the smartest thing to do. I agree with Jacob here.

I was watching a series on A&E a while back about what are the best plays and how not to waste your money at a casino. Every expert they had on said the insurance bet was a waste of money because the house odds are almost 90% or some crazy number close to 100%. I would never take those odds.

I never do insurance bets. It makes the game more interesting if you take a chance at the dealer not having 21. Plus, I think the whole “Insurance” bet is a big scam. I would rather save the money and chance it.

bodog - 07 January 2009 11:43 PM

Insurance bets are the best options available in blackjack. See the thumb rule one should adopt while playing black jack is to protect your money not try to be aggressive and keep trying your luck. If you can protect your money in most of the games ultimately you will have good profit. It might feel conservative theory but it works for me everytime.

Not be aggressive? It’s called gambling for a reason! I’m surprised it works for you.

Initially I liked Insurance Bets but as I got mature and gained expertise in the game, I stopped using it. But I would definitely suggest all the amateur players to use them. They make your game safer.

Like pokerking said, its a kind of safety device that amateur players should use often so that they don’t loose big time.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys but I have tested this technique many times and I am completely confident about it. I have saved many greens and hence I would stick to it no matter what!

It still is a suckers bet and every gambling expert says don’t do it. Odds are with the casino almost all of the time. Even as an amateur, I would never use it.

I don’t take insurances - they aren’t really worth it in my opinion and the risk is better!

Well it seems like the table is equally distributed. There are people like me who suggest to use insurance bets for amateur players while some are completely avoiding it. Great so no one sided conclusion.

Well there is conclusion and it is balanced on both sides )

Jokes apart Insurance bets are essentially useful to amateur players and one should make it a habit.

I have always used insurance in my advantage. At times, people say its a girlie thing but I have tasted its fruit so I am pretty much sure of using it whenever required.