The blackjack insurance rule refers to when the dealer has an ace card as their upcard. This is a bet on the side that is not linked to your original bet.
The insurance rule works as a safety precaution against a differing blackjack. It pays 2 to 1 and it is usually half your initial bet. In this guide, our experts will discuss what the blackjack insurance rule is, when you should use it and if it’s even worth it. If this is the kind of information you are looking for, then you have come to the right place.
Best Casinos to Play Blackjack
| Online casinos | Welcome Bonus | Payout | Rating | Visit Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1  | 500 Free on Stardust | 99.05% | Play Now Online Casino London | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
2  | 100% Up To €200 + 100 Free Spins | 98.05% | Play Now Mr Play | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
3  | 200% match up to £100 | 97.05% | Play Now Play UK | |
| Full T&Cs applyNew Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
4  | 100% up to EUR 100 + 50 extra spins | 97.00% | Play Now Wix Stars | |
| Full T&Cs applyNew Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
5  | Up To 500 Spins Bonus | 91.00% | Play Now UK Slots Casino | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
6  | 100% up to EUR 100 + 50 extra spins | 97.01% | Play Now Glimmer Casino | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
7  | 100% Up To £100 + 10% cashback always | 98.01% | Play Now All British Casino | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
8  | 111 Free Spins + up to £998 Bonus | 98.31% | Play Now Fun Casino | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
9  | 10% Cashback to Always | 98.56% | Play Now No Bonus Casino | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
10  | 100% Up To £100 + 10% cashback always | 98.96% | Play Now Casino Casino | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
11  | 10% Cashback Always | 98.26% | Play Now Dazzle Casino | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
12 ![Mega Casino](/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/mega-casino.png" "Mega Casino") | 100% up to £50 + 25 spins on Ninja Master | 98.16% | Play Now Mega Casino | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
13  | 100 Spins Welcome Bonus | 96.06% | Play Now LuckyMe Casino | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
14  | 100% up to £50 + 36 spins | 96.03% | Play Now Ice 36 | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
15  | 100% up to £50 + 25 spins on Ninja Master | 99.03% | Play Now Simba Games | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
16  | Deposit £10, get 10 Spins | 99.83% | Play Now Prime Slots | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
17  | 100 Spins Welcome Bonus | 99.85% | Play Now Prime Casino | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
18  | 100% up to £150 + 100 spins | 99.85% | Play Now Slotnite UK | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
19  | 200% up to £150 + 100 spins | 95.85% | Play Now Rizk Casino | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
20  | 100% UP TO £100 + 25Free spins on 1st | 92.85% | Play Now Gate777 Casino | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
22  | £100 Welcome Bonus | 96.80% | Play Now Guts Casino | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
23  | 200% match up to £100 | 91.80% | Play Now Schmitts Casino | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
24  | 200% match up to £100 | 90.10% | Play Now Plush Casino | |
| Full T&Cs apply New Customer Offer.T&Cs Apply.18+. Please Gamble Responsibly. | ||||
25  | Up To £200 Cashback | 90.00% | Play Now Pocket Vegas Casino | |
How to Place the Insurance Bet
We are certain that you are wondering how you can place an insurance bet when playing blackjack. Well, do not worry our experts are here to help with that. Below we share a few steps:
1. If you decide to take insurance when playing blackjack online, you will simply have to click on the insurance icon.
2. If your bet is difficult to divide in two, do not worry, the program will do that for you.
3. The hole card is checked once your bet has been divided in two. If the dealer has 21, then you will lose your initial bet, however, you will win the insurance wager. You break even on the hand because the insurance bet pays off at 2-to-1 odds.
4. You will lose the insurance, if the dealer does not find any card underneath that completes a two-card 21. Both sides will play out the rest of the hand as usual.
5 Once the above steps have been completed, you have to make a decision about your own hand. It should be noted, that you might end up losing both your original bet and your insurance bet.
What are the Odds for Insurance Bets?
You can never know the exact odds of winning an insurance bet. The odds depend on the number of ten-point cards that have already been dealt as well as the number of decks used in the game.
Professional card-counters are more likely to tell the odds. This is because they can identify when the conditions are good to make a profitable insurance bet. They are also able to keep track of the game. However, for the average player, when we take insurance, the odds are always against us. This mostly applies to online blackjack due to the fact that the decks are shuffled prior to every single hand.
You should avoid the insurance bet because you will have the worst odds, if there are more decks being used in the game. The house advantage on the insurance bet is 5.8%. Whet the casino uses eight decks, the number can go up to 7.5%.
How Does Blackjack Insurance Work
When you use the blackjack insurance bet, an amount that is equal to half of your initial bet will be placed in front of the hand you are playing. As you may know by now, insurance is essentially, a side bet that you can place every time the dealer shows an ace. Below we share how blackjack insurance rule works:
1. You use this rule to insure your hand in the event that the dealer is dealt a blackjack. This will save your money.
2. When using this rule, you will have the chance to place another bet of half of your initial bet amount. This bet is placed only when the dealer has blackjack.
3. The only time the insurance is really worth taking is when you have 20, 19 or 18 and the dealer must stand on soft 17. In this case, your hand will not be strong enough to beat the dealer.
When Should I Take Insurance?
The only time the insurance bet will be advantageous is when you are counting cards at a land-based casino. Apart from that, you should steer clear of placing a bet on insurance in blackjack. If you take a look at the bet, you will statistically be able to tell that you are going to lose money eventually if you use the insurance bet.
The odds against blackjack are almost 9 to 4. You will lose over half of the insurance bet that you place. This is simply due to the fact that the bet pays 2 to 1, which is a losing proposition. Only advanced card counters are excepted from this. Advanced card counters are able to keep track of the number of ten-point cards that are left in the deck. They do this by using advanced blackjack strategies.
It is more likely for the dealer to hit a blackjack if there are more face cards and tens in the deck. Taking insurance can be quite profitable if the count is good enough. It should be noted, however, that this only applies to players who are advanced in the game. Additionally, this applies to live casinos and not casinos on the internet.
Is Insurance A Beneficial Option For The Player To Use?
Now that you have an idea of what insurance rule is in blackjack, you might be wondering if it is beneficial. Well, although at first glance it might seem like it is a good move, you might be disappointed. The truth is that you might be stopped before you even start using the insurance bet. However, it should be noted that the odds are 2.18-to-1 against winning an insurance bet. Therefore, you are certainly getting “the worst of it” with a payoff of 2-to-1.