Casino
Blackjack Insurance: Is It Worth Taking?
Blackjack insurance is a side bet offered only when the dealer shows an Ace, and although it pays 2:1, most players should turn it down.
It loses money over time because it needs the dealer to have a ten-value hole card a third of the time, and they have one slightly less often than that.
Quick Facts
| Factor | Blackjack Insurance |
|---|---|
| Payout | 2:1 |
| Trigger | Dealer shows an Ace |
| Cost | Half of your original bet |
| House edge | Around 7-8% |
What is Blackjack Insurance?
Blackjack insurance is an optional side bet that the dealer’s hole card is a ten-value card. It’s offered only when the dealer’s up-card is an Ace, and you can stake up to half your original bet on it. The side bet is settled separately from your main hand, which carries on as normal. If you’re new to the game, our guide on how to play blackjack covers the basics.
How the Insurance Bet Pays
The insurance bet pays 2:1 if the dealer has blackjack and loses if they don’t. With a £10 main bet and a £5 insurance stake, there are two possible outcomes:
- The dealer has blackjack: your £10 main bet loses, and the insurance wins £10, so you break even.
- The dealer doesn’t have blackjack: you lose the £5 insurance stake and the main hand plays on as normal.
Is Blackjack Insurance Worth It?
Blackjack insurance isn’t worth taking for almost all players, because the dealer doesn’t have a ten-value hole card often enough to cover a 2:1 payout. To break even, the hole card needs to be a ten more than 33.3% of the time. In a six-deck shoe, it’s a ten about 31% of the time.
That small gap creates the house edge. On average, you lose about £7.40 for every £100 staked on insurance, a house edge of about 7.4% in a six-deck game. The main hand is where your decisions count, and our basic blackjack strategy charts show the correct play for each one.
Even Money Explained
Even money is a guaranteed 1:1 payout the dealer offers when you have blackjack and their up-card is an Ace, paid before they check the hole card.
It’s the same decision as taking insurance. Insure a £10 blackjack for £5, and you finish £10 up either way: if the dealer has blackjack, your hand pushes, and the insurance wins £10; if they don’t, your blackjack wins £15, and the insurance loses £5. Even money simply pays that £10 up front.
Assuming blackjack pays 3:2, declining is worth more over time. Even money pays £10 every time, while declining pays £15 about 69% of the time and pushes otherwise, which averages about £10.40.
When Does Insurance Make Sense?
Insurance only becomes a fair bet when more than a third of the cards left in the shoe are tens. The only way to know that is by counting cards, which doesn’t work in RNG blackjack because the cards are typically reshuffled every hand, and isn’t a realistic option in normal play.
Insurance in Live Dealer vs RNG Blackjack
The maths of insurance is identical in live dealer and RNG blackjack; only how the bet is offered differs. In live blackjack, the option appears on screen with a short timer before the dealer checks the hole card. In RNG blackjack, a prompt appears, and the game waits for your choice. You’ll find both formats in the William Hill Vegas blackjack lobby.
The Bottom Line
Blackjack insurance costs more than it returns over time, so the sound decision in normal play is to decline it. The main hand deserves your attention, and our blackjack strategy guide covers it in full. You can play online and live blackjack at William Hill Vegas.
Blackjack Insurance – FAQ
What does blackjack insurance pay?
Blackjack insurance pays 2:1, so a £5 stake wins £10 if the dealer has blackjack.
What is the house edge on blackjack insurance?
The house edge on blackjack insurance is about 7.4% in a six-deck game.
Should you take even money in blackjack?
Declining even money is the better long-run choice when blackjack pays 3:2, because even money is the same decision as taking insurance.
Does taking insurance change how you play your hand, such as splitting or doubling?
Taking insurance doesn’t affect how you should play your hand, because the side bet is settled when the dealer checks for blackjack. Hitting, standing, doubling and splitting pairs stay the same.
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