How Do Dealers See if They Have Blackjack?

In blackjack, dealers must constantly make decisions that have a direct impact on the house edge. One of these decisions is whether to offer insurance when the player has a blackjack. Insurance is a side bet that pays 2 to 1 if the dealer has a blackjack.

The house edge on this bet is 7.89%.

Some dealers feel that offering insurance is a way to increase their chances of winning. They reason that if the player has a blackjack, the dealer will win the insurance bet and offset any losses from the player’s blackjack.

However, this line of thinking is flawed.

The dealer’s chance of having a blackjack when the player has one is only 9.09%. This means that, on average, the dealer will lose the insurance bet 8.

18% of the time. Over time, these losses will add up and offset any wins from players who don’t have blackjacks.

In addition, offering insurance puts the dealer at risk of alienating players who don’t want to make the side bet. These players may feel like they’re being pressured into making a bet they don’t want to make, and they may avoid playing at that table in the future.

The bottom line is that dealers should not offer insurance when the player has a blackjack. It’s a bad bet for both the dealer and the casino, and it’s likely to turn off players who don’t want to make it.