iGaming Glossary / Insurance
What is Insurance?
A blackjack side bet offered when the dealer shows an ace. Over time it costs more than it returns.
Insurance is a side bet you are offered in blackjack when the dealer's face up card is an ace. You can put up to half your original stake on the chance that the dealer has a ten value card underneath for a blackjack. If they do, the insurance pays 2 to 1.
It sounds like protection against a bad outcome, but the maths does not favour you. The dealer completes blackjack less often than the payout assumes, so over many hands insurance loses more than it returns.
Most basic strategy charts tell you to decline it, even when you are holding a strong hand. The one exception is for card counters tracking a ten rich deck. For the wider game, see our blackjack guide.
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