Should You Take Even Money in Blackjack?

When you play blackjack, one of the key decisions you’ll need to make is whether or not to take even money when you have a blackjack and the dealer is showing an Ace. Even money pays out 1-1 on your bet, so it seems like a no brainer, right?

Wrong.

While taking even money may seem like the smart play, it’s actually not always in your best interest. Here’s a look at when you should and shouldn’t take even money in blackjack.

The Basics of Even Money

In order to understand when you should take even money, it’s important to know how it works. If you have blackjack (a two-card 21) and the dealer is showing an Ace, the dealer will ask if you want even money.

If you take it, you’ll get paid 1-1 on your bet. So, if you bet $10 and take even money, you’ll get paid $10.

Seems simple enough, right? But there’s a catch.

When the dealer offers you even money, they aren’t actually offering true odds. The reason is that there is a small chance that the dealer also has blackjack.

If this happens, it’s a push (a tie), and you don’t win or lose your bet.

The odds of the dealer having blackjack when they show an Ace are about 9%. This means that for every 100 times the dealer offers even money, they’ll win nine times and lose 91 times.

So, if you take even money every time the dealer offers it to you, you can expect to lose about 9% of your bet over time. That may not seem like much, but it can add up quickly if you’re playing a lot of hands or betting big money.

When Should You Take Even Money?

Despite the fact that taking even money is a losing proposition in the long run, there are still some situations where it makes sense to take it. Here are a few examples:.