When Should I Take Insurance in Blackjack?

When to Take Insurance in Blackjack

When playing blackjack, insurance is a side bet that the dealer has a natural blackjack (an ace with a 10-value card). It pays 2-to-1 if the dealer does in fact have a natural, but it’s a sucker bet more often than not.

Here are some guidelines on when to take insurance and when to pass:

Never take insurance with a count of less than +5. The basic strategy player should never take insurance.

With a count of +5 or higher, you should take insurance if the dealer shows an ace. Otherwise, follow basic strategy.

If you’re a card counter, you should only take insurance when the count is very positive (at least +15). Even then, it’s not a great bet.

Some beginner blackjack players think insurance is a good bet because they “know” that the dealer has a good chance of having a natural blackjack. But this ignores the fact that you’re giving up 3-to-2 odds on your own blackjack hand by taking insurance.

And even if the dealer does have a natural, you’re only breaking even on the deal since you’re betting two units and winning two units.

In short, taking insurance in blackjack is almost always a bad bet. The only time you should consider it is if you’re counting cards and the count is very high in your favor.