When to Take Insurance Vs Even Money

When the dealer has an Ace up, they'll offer insurance. Should you take them up on their offer? What about "Even Money"? What if you have a bad hand? In this video, professional card counter Colin Jones breaks down the math behind insurance, why you probably shouldn't take it, and when you actually should.
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[@usafa1993]

This is a neat video, and it helped me realize the obvious: Insurance is NOT insuring your hand, it is betting on the dealer's hole card. Simple concept; entirely true, but I never thought about from that perspective.

[@danielyuan9862]

insurance is literally insuring your hand, but it's not good value

[@kaii3232]

What other way could you think about it?

[@JPINFV]

@@danielyuan9862 At 3+ true count it is...

[@arejay9509]

I've been dealing for 10 years and I thought all of this was obvious lol

[@feliciaamore1105]

@@arejay9509 if you've been dealing for any decent length of time, You also know that just because it's obvious, doesn't mean players playing blackjack will notice it Dx

[@filipemelo1242]

Just a small tip for someone training how to count before goind to a casino. Go to a stream on twitch, go to slots and search for a streamer playing blackjack. Try to keep up the count

[@JDQBMIC]

Very good explanation Colin. Better to be knowledgeable and quiet than loud and ignorant. Wishing everyone positive variance.

[@Bladeofwar94]

As a dealer i've explained that i've skipped taking insurance on a 500 dollar blackjack and pushed it. Had players ask why I didn't take even money and I explained to them that over the long run it's a bad bet and you lose money taking it. Even as a dealer of 3+ years experience the players still think they know better. Also as a dealer of course i'm ganna tell them what basic strategy tells them. My employer allows me to tell players what basic would do during a hand and I always tell players and try to help them. More winning players means more tips my way.

[@cegavas]

Tbf I’ve heard dealers with plenty of experience dealing not know much about basic strategy telling me bad plays lol I wouldn’t take it personal

[@briandraper7630]

They won’t win using basic strategy though. Still 0.5% disadvantage. You should tell them to count cards

[@ericm1839]

They offer the side bet because it basically doubles your risk and the more risk you take, the more often it works out for the casino

[@Rouanoke]

This is by far the best deviation I utilize it has saved me some much money

[@HersheyDog]

Gotta love card counting.. i feel pretty good after taking insurance yesterday @ true 4. the dealer had blackjack and everyone seem pissed at me for insuring my 2 spots lol. 1 thing i didn't realize was taking even money was insuring a blackjack i will need to remember that next time so i take even money too..

[@ItsBastrin]

Love what you guys do over here! Thank you!

[@sophiasavanna1329]

Great video, you should do a video of all of the craziest blackjack times you and your team experienced back in your hay day, thanks keep up the videos

[@TMJJack]

I have never seen such a masterpiece. Best seven minutes of my life.

[@rogerwalker3748]

Very good 👍 may the count be with you ♠️

[@StuUngar]

There’s been a couple instances where I was gambling and threw a large (for me) bet. So if I throw out a purple chip and I get a blackjack with an ace showing, I have taken even money because in those instances, I was concerned with the short run, not the long (which I know is a dangerous thing.)

[@user-bx9ri2qv3y]

I mean, you were gambling, not card counting, and you weren't managing a bankroll. In your case, it's okay, because you're playing for the fun of it

[@jdb2002]

The dealer I had did offer insurance, but not even money. And you could put a second bet down that would pay extra if certain cards came up in your hand (didn't take it).

[@HSimon1981]

I watch a lot of Blackjack channels and a lot of players opt not to take even money and I can understand reasons for taking it and not taking it

[@AJ-qg7bx]

Something that Colin didn't mention here is that you can take the even money on your blackjack, and also post the insurance wager. Some casinos may not allow this, but being a dealer myself, I can confirm that this is possible. This rarely happens at a table because people just don't think about it. You took the even money, you got paid, the hand is done for you, right? Wrong. There are no official rules that state a player who took even money on a blackjack cannot post an insurance wager. Is this advantageous for card counting? I have no idea. But it is absolutely possible to get paid twice on your blackjack.

[@sebastiandierks7919]

Above a true count of 3, it would be profitable to take both if it's possible.

[@kristianstenerson2608]

every casino is different and my casino would not allow this

[@user-bx9ri2qv3y]

It would be profitable at a true count of +3.

[@ScarletDeathweaverLegacy]

3:52 The correct decision is not to insure any of those 3 hands; exception being as a card counter at T3+, in which case you should deviate from basic strategy and insure all 3 of those hands, as only then it's more likely than not the dealer has a Blackjack. 🖤 (Since you're paid 2-1)

[@shayarchoksi2566]

Good information 👍🏻

[@eepsitha6355]

Good information 🎉👍🏼

[@tannerwarren4563]

How do you find teams or meet other advantage players? Do you create your own team or meet other counters at casinos or something else entirely

[@senna3]

Just curious, you stated never take less insurance for less than 3 on a shoe game. Wouldn't the same also be true on a pitch game?

[@archer242424]

Every time I have a question about blackjack, it turns out Colin has already made a video about it!

[@PowerfulRift]

I recently bought your book and have enjoyed the read. Planning on signing up for your course.

[@dantalksfootball1]

It is well worth it

[@PowerfulRift]

@@dantalksfootball1I couldn’t agree more my friend.

[@HanStanwell]

judging by the discard tray there's about one and a half decks left to be played

[@michaelschweigart3517]

I went onto your site to put my e-mail in so I could get a copy of deviations, and it keeps telling me to "put in a better e-mail" And, how much is membership to your site?

[@BestEquipmentShots]

Hey Colin, do you reckon you can do a video on how to back count at a table that's already half way through the shoe, like how long to count before working out the true count? Thanks.

[@Blackjackapprenticeship]

I would never join a table that’s already halfway into the shoe. You’ve missed too many cards to make that shoe worth playing.

[@cccccc499]

You can do that but you have to treat all the unseen cards in the discard tray as if they were in the shoe. For example, say you were to walk up to a 6 deck shoe with 3 decks already discarded.. you would need to take your running count and divide by 6 because there are 3 decks discarded plus the 3 left in the shoe

[@GlitcheR52277]

@@cccccc499 sure but again he clearly states that you just shouldnt do that.. wait for a new shoe

[@veri745]

@@cccccc499 That's equivalent to penetration of probably less than a whole deck out of 6, i.e. terrible

[@johnnyslokes2712]

@@cccccc499 I mean yeah you could do that but you shouldn't do that because you'll lose like that, you're getting like a deck and you have no idea what's left in that deck because 3 decks are discarded already. Why do it when you can wait for a new shoe?

[@MondoLeStraka]

Colin, are you ever going to do a live broadcast?

[@the.tricky.outdoorsman]

Wish I could go to your school. I want to learn how to do this.

[@user-lh2mk1ly4f]

Can you explain the diffrence between American blackjack (dealer shows the blackjack immediately), and the European blackjack (the dealer lets you play before he shows his blackjack). Also wich one has more House-edge?

[@GaryLuKOTH]

In both of these games, you lose automatically if the dealer has Blackjack, unless you have Blackjack too. Since European Blackjack lets you play before the dealer’s Blackjack is revealed, it lets you double down and split before the dealer checks, making you lose more money on a dealer’s Blackjack. European Blackjack, in general, has a higher house edge since it makes some formerly powerful moves, such as splitting aces against a dealer’s ace, moves that you want to avoid.

[@KestrelForever]

Any concern about if your hi-lo doesn't correctly capture the conditions of the shoe? Insurance is 10's vs not 10's, but hi-lo doesn't count 8's and 9's, right?

[@fuller1]

Once you read the percentages and then asked when do you take insurance? I was like, pretty much never unless you're counting really good. For starting out and getting basic strategy down, definitely never. Great vid.

[@sebastiandierks7919]

5:39 It's actually curious to me why the playing deviation to take insurance is at a true 3, not a 4. Looking at that quarter of a deck, you would have to remove one of the lower cards to make it a fair side bet (probability for a 10 would then be 4/12, for something else 8/12, and since it pays 2:1 the expectation value is 0). For a whole deck, you would have to remove 4 lower cards, giving a TC of 4, not 3. But I guess the index is a 3 because the high-low system doesn't give such precise information: removing 7-9 and aces also increases the expected winnings, which corresponds to no change/a lower TC. Since the ace is one of 5 cards with count -1, the index should probably be 4*(1-1/5)=3.2. So at TC=3, it's probably still negative expectation, but putting the index at 4 would make the playing deviation less profitable, as 3.2

[@davidburns6263]

I don’t think so, I could be wrong. But when you take even money you win, you placed a bet of 50 to win 50. When you buy insurance, you don’t know if you will end up with a winning hand. You still have to beat the dealer. Buying insurance on 50 will cost you 25. If you loose the hand which happens quite often you are out 75. I play black jack time to time and never buy insurance or take even money. In the long run it the most profitable play.

[@douglaslindsey7512]

Do you have any knowledge of a Casino Floor Manager waving the Black Jack 3/2 rule for a Player?

[@jdemon11]

I just realized you have tulalip cards. What do you think of the casino? Its my near by casino

[@saskiahenze8680]

Where did you design and print your blackjack layout?

[@MondoLeStraka]

Colin, how are you? What about a separate side count for insurance? The 10-count. Would the potential for an error with two separate counts be a huge influence?

[@luckyheart8279]

You can have a side count but hi lo counting is the easiest to use when deciding to take insurance. (The side count is harder)

[@BigWinWinter]

How does this relate to 6:5 (and yes I know nobody should ever play 6:5) but sometimes in casual play you accidentally end up at one.

[@briangulley6027]

Most places in Vegas don't pay 3-2 anymore its 6-5 so you'd be a damn to fool to take even money, insurance isn't affected.

[@Bladerunner55217]

When playing a video blackjack machine last weekend at the Excalibur for 3 hours I lost for not taking insurance. I think whoever created this machine understood this video lol. Note: I put in 11 dollars to start with and left with 90.00 dollars after 4 hours of play. I had to make the decision of taking insurance during those 4 hours about 20 or so times and only 1 time the dealer didn’t have 21.

[@carsonluettjohann6477]

The problem was that you were playing blackjack on a machine. Casinos can easily rig that.

[@Bladerunner55217]

@@carsonluettjohann6477 I didn’t say I lost lol, I put in 11 dollars left with 90.00 dollars after 4 hours of play. I had to make the decision of taking insurance during those 4 hours about 20 or so times and only 1 time the dealer didn’t have 21.

[@trevler]

@@carsonluettjohann6477 In theory they could, but why would they? They don't need to cheat or rig things to be winners in the long run. On the other hand, cheating puts that substantial risk from regulators.

[@joshuamonson3770]

Are the cards reshuffled every time on the machines? Is the machine called Excalibur?Genuinely curious.

[@StuUngar]

@@Bladerunner55217 “I put in 11 dollars left with 90 dollars.” This sentence makes no sense. Are you saying you put in your last 11 dollars after spending 90?

[@scratchadams]

So basically this video only taught me that taking even money or insurance only matters if i know how to count cards. I myself am an advanced player at basic strategy but do not count cards. What do we do in that situation?

[@jayjang7273]

You literally answered your own question lol

[@mentar1048]

One little side tip: Playing insurance correctly is a strong indicator of being an advantage player, and it can cause or intensify heat. If you never take insurance, and then, on rare occasions when you bet a lot (because the true count is high), you suddenly insure even crap hands like a hard 16, this _will_ draw unwanted attention. Especially if you lose both insurance and the hand, many ploppies at the table will berate you, and skilled casino personnel or the eye in the sky might watch you even closer. If you do that, have a cover story handy, like "I have found out that if I don't defend my big bets, I get unlucky".

[@SirJoelsuf1]

That happened to me a few years ago lol. True count was like +5 and I had a hard 14 against an ace with $100 on the table (my bankroll was $200 lol). Took insurance, won it, didn't celebrate, then the pit boss (who, thankfully, was an AP at another casino and was in my bowling league...small world haha) pulled me over and was like "dude, if you do that again you might not be able to play here anymore. Just letting you know before something happens." It's the same with splitting 10s too. Or staying on 12 against 6. Or ANY index strat for that matter. Basic strats and wild bet spreads don't get too much attention (unless your spread is like a ridiculous 1-20 or something crazy like that) but index strats? The house knows what you're doing there.

[@JohnVC]

That's why you need "cover".! Don't do everything by the book, you have to throw in a typical goofy gambler move once in awhile. For example sometimes on a table of four players, if three of us get 10/10, and the count goes down by 6, I raise my bet slightly sometimes because it would be obvious if I just dropped it immediately. You don't have to do stuff like this often, but it helps I think if the pit is watching you carefully.

[@ozync3000]

@@SirJoelsuf1 12 v 6 is basic start my dude

[@tmtmtlsml]

Playing at a SoCal casino, I insured a 7 hand and the dealer flipped a king. As he was paying the insurance, he made the offhand comment, "Insured a 7? Damn, the count must have been high" and I about had a heart attack. My go-to cover is "I didn't think I'd actually win the hand so I was hoping for the push" and nothing happened from it, but I made sure to toke the dealer when he got pushed out just to make sure he wasn't thinking of passing that along to the floor

[@jackknechtl2651]

What is the real differences between a H17 and a S17 game? And which do you prefer? Thanks

[@mentar1048]

Technical difference is that H17 games force the dealer to hit if he has a soft 17. S17 games force the dealer to stand on soft 17. S17 games are better than H17 games by 0,2%. Keep in mind, you always want to hit soft 17 (or even double down depending on count and dealer upcard). Same goes for the dealer.

[@Tee-19]

This one still puzzles me. Leaving the insurance aspect aside, if I take even money, I am guaranteed to make 100% profit. But the better play is to risk that 100% (end up with 0 profit) in order to possibly make 150% ???

[@luckyheart8279]

It's funny how insurance is a sucker bet but the plethora of side bets aren't. Great video.

[@tmtmtlsml]

Oh they are, and almost all of them are way worse than insurance is

[@sirving1297]

Side bets almost always have a house edge far larger than betting normally. Sometimes, as high 6-10%. The only worthwhile side bet I've seen is lucky ladies on a 2 deck game. Virtually all the rest are losing bets. They have another video that covers this actually.

[@brianbaker2884]

I won’t lie, I always get the most heat with this. Because I’m never wrong on the these apparently

[@ThePeterDislikeShow]

4:00 that's actually backwards since if you had a 20 there are LESS 10's for the dealer to potentially have.

[@MrJoosebawkz]

I've never been to a casino so sorry if this is a dumb question. but why do all of your cards have holes punched through them?

[@Rubycon99]

Casinos do that when they sell used decks to prevent cheating.

[@jonathanmellette8541]

One thing I've noticed (I never go to Vegas, but I cruise a lot) is that the blackjack tables I see pay something stupid like 6:5 on blackjack. In those cases, it seems like even money is an easy call. But in this case, insurance is NOT the same thing as even money, right?

[@generalhotdog33]

Even money is not offered on 6:5 blackjack games, just insurance. With insurance on these games you either win even money if the dealer has blackjack, or 70% of your bet if the dealer doesn't (including the loss on insurance). If the casino offers something, it's not a good bet. The dealer however is typically on your side, if you are unsure what to do with your hand, they'll tell you what basic strategy says. Take care of them, they'll take care of you

[@rmun3y]

Agree, take even money on 6:5.

[@generalhotdog33]

@@rmun3y You can't

[@rmun3y]

@@generalhotdog33 Sorry, Mr. Know It All. Yes it is rare, but there are places that offer it.

[@generalhotdog33]

@@rmun3y where? I've been in the casino business for a decade

[@johnnyzeee5215]

If player and dealer both have Blackjack, it's a push, or even money pay, and if you bet the Insurance, you're paid for the win at 2 to 1. Sounds like one of the few ' no lose ' situations to me.

[@Evan-zc5hv]

What’s your opinion on tables that pay out 6 to 5, instead on 2 to 1? The casino I played out had that type of payout

[@georgeskhater487]

He has a video on that, basically avoid it as much as possible

[@jimklemens5018]

You shouldn't play at a table that pays 6:5 for blackjack.

[@Nickidog8]

Thanks for the video, keep it up😁😁

[@Lorijenken]

I only did this once, I went to Casino (Ceasar's) walked in straight to table put 100$ down without even sitting and got BlackJack, she had ace and asked me if i wanted insurance and I just laugh cause I called her card, was a 3 club ( TO THIS DAY I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I GUESSED HER CARD) I was jut being dumb yet ya that happend lol.

[@daneherring509]

Had a dealer the other night tell me you always, always take even money. I vehemently disagreed with him. “I’ve been dealing 27 years” blah blah blah, native dealer at a native casino. Of course they don’t want anyone getting paid 3:2

[@dantalksfootball1]

I actually thought this but I wasn’t 100% sure when to take even money.

[@z26ez6ze]

Hello, when i sign for the mini-course i don't receive any mails. Is there a way to fix that ?

[@Blackjackapprenticeship]

Email us and we can add you.

[@CountryDancingMan]

What if the casino you're playing at only offers 6 to 5 blackjack? What is the proper thing to do other than not play at that table?

[@DragonPupEclipse]

Insurance has nothing to do with your hand in blackjack. You should never take insurance at all unless you are counting cards. 6 to 5 is a horrible game but taking insurance every time in a 6 to 5 game just make it even more worst. And you shouldn't be playing at a 6 to 5 unless you want to throw away your money faster.

[@richodude5455]

But why is it worth it at a true 3? Every time insurance pays out, you ‘win’ a bet. When it doesn’t, you lose half a bet. So if you lose twice and win once, you break even. So that means if the odds of a blackjack are 1/3 or higher, insurance is worth it. Converting to a deck of cards, 17.3/52 of them or more would have to be tens. Since a deck has 16, wouldn’t that mean insurance is worth it just above a true 1? Please let me know if I messed something up because this math is confusing me

[@upplsuckimcool16]

I'm a little confused... in your scenario I see how it is always the same, you ALWAYS win 10$ if you have a black jack whether you take even money or insurance... The thing I'm confused about is the fact that if you don't take either there is a chance you don't win ANY money. Wouldn't it be better to win $10 guaranteed than it is to win $15 slightly more often then not. Hmm, I guess it seems like it would increase your EV by a small % in the long run.... I haven't done the math but.... It just FEELS like it's a break even type thing.... but I'm guessing it's better for you in the long run by a small % to just push once in a while and take the 1.5x most of the time. (EDIT FOR THIS STATEMENT: NVM I continued watching the video LOL, my question is answered. It's 4% ;D lolol) But then, and on top of that, when the count is high in that scenario, wouldn't it make sense to take the even money as there is a higher probability of a push when the count is high? Or am I just completely missing something here?

[@gabrielgabe6949]

So wait, at a true 3 or higher always take insurance or even money only if you have a blackjack? Never take insurance at a try 3 or higher with any other hand than a blackjack? So I’m not insuring every hand at true 3 or higher when dealer shows ace?

[@GaryLuKOTH]

You always take insurance and even money at a true 3 or higher. Whether or not you have blackjack does not change the probability that you win the bet by much.

[@nintendonerdsvideos4727]

If the insurance bet is a quote sucker bet, why don't the casinos offer to insure if the dealer has a 10 up card

[@Otaldobeny]

The only thing that i can't wrap my head around is why would insurance be profitable even at a 3 or higher count? The way I think about it, a true 3 would be like removing 3 low cards from a deck of 52, in which case it would still be much more likely that the dealer doesn't have a Blackjack as opposed to having one. Can someone explain this to me?

[@augustvctjuh8423]

The payout is 2:1, meaning you only have to win 1/3rd of the time While the Hi-Lo doesn't directly measure the number of 10-valued cards, you can use statistics or simulations to calculate at which true count the deck contains on average >33.3% 10-value cards Which apparently ended up being >3TC

[@hanj31]

I thought you win automatically if you hit blackjack regardless of the dealer? Or is it some variations only

[@danielyuan9862]

Blackjack against blackjack is a push. Bust against bust is a loss >:(.

[@birddog9002]

Collin I use your card counting drill on your website and more often than not my count is wrong I just dont get it I do everything you say do and even when it's clearly correct it still says I'm wrong for example it gave me "3/5/4/6/2/4/4/3 and a king" now the count should be +7 right? But it came back as 5 wtf lol this nearly put me off counting all together but I'm gonna keep trying bro

[@Blackjackapprenticeship]

Are you adding it to the previous round? The running count takes into account whatever the count was at the end of the last round.

[@birddog9002]

@@Blackjackapprenticeship that was it I figured it out not long after I posted the comment 🤣 thank you for replying I was getting super frustrated

[@odbhut424]

If one only has access to 6:5 blackjack, does that mean that taking even money is different (and better) than insurance?

[@tmtmtlsml]

If you're thinking of playing at a 6:5 table in the first place, you've got much bigger problems

[@odbhut424]

@@tmtmtlsml Yes yes very funny, but if we can just get over the fact that some people (a) want to play and (b) only has access to 6:5 table, we can start discussing the math. The math doesn't stop working at a 6:5 table, it's just different.

[@tmtmtlsml]

@@odbhut424 You're correct that the math does not stop working. Unfortunately, even with card counting, it keeps working in the casino's favor. If you only have access to a 6:5 table, then as previously stated, you have a much bigger problem than figuring out where the insurance advantage is. Besides, unless 6:5 insurance pays more or less than 2:1, the math doesn't change. The insurance side bet is independent of any other table conditions. Take it at TC+3 or higher

[@odbhut424]

@@tmtmtlsml Not the question. The assertion was that at 3:2, even money and insurance are the same. If I understood the math, this is contingent on blackjack paying 3:2. If that is correct (and this is where I am soliciting help), even money is better on a 6:5 blackjack than 2:1 insurance. Also, like, I understand I am starting with a ~2% house edge. There's no point rubbing it in. That "bigger problem" joke is overworked.

[@tmtmtlsml]

@@odbhut424 There is no "even money" on a 6:5 table. Technically speaking, "even money" is not a real option. It's a shortcut way of asking someone with a blackjack on a 3:2 table if they'd like to take insurance since if they do, they win their bet amount whether or not the dealer has a blackjack. It's just a time-save. On a 6:5 table, you are still offered insurance on a blackjack hand. To use the example of a $10 bet, if you take $5 insurance and the dealer has a blackjack, you still win $10 on the insurance and push the hand. However, if you take insurance and the dealer doesn't have blackjack, you lose the $5 insurance and make $12 on the blackjack for a total gain of only $7.

[@savage.motivation]

I only take insurance if the count is +3

[@Spacesnakes474]

So then even money is better than insurance on tables that pay 6 to 5 on blackjacks?

[@jgrill87]

There are two times to consider even money-- one is you have the count, the other is the following. Scenario: You have placed a wager so large that you would NEVER consider a like sided bet ever again. Statistics aren't valid if the sample size is 1. :)

[@benjaminminett352]

Intro song?

[@Gambeano79]

Isn't it a true 2.5 in doubledeck?

[@MondoLeStraka]

Well, it's actually 2.4.

[@danielvasey]

you should a reaction/analysis of xQcOW's recent gambling livestream where he played a lot of blackjack badly

[@styvj3466]

I can’t believe casino use the word “insurance” instead of “ya wanna bet what’s underneath? Lmao. Insurances is true as define/use in BJ, but a calm way to lure us in. Percentage is in their favor but sometimes you need to feel lucky and just do it. Not all the time but taking insurance atleast once or twice may save you per cut.

[@ThePeterDislikeShow]

But even money probably reduces your variance significantly. If you're playing with a tight bankroll can't this reduce your risk of ruin even if your EV goes down?

[@DynamicGracer]

Are online casinos evil? Please help thx

[@Zak-jt6nk]

my personal favorite move i've seen in the casino is people who take insurance then surrender

[@soSAMuksUKslotchannel]

Even money and insurance are not identical as you can’t take even money if you don’t have a blackjack where as you can take insurance even if you don’t have a blackjack so they are slightly different but if you have BJ it’s the same

[@edsonbojorquez2913]

Funny how my casino app always has blackjack 😂

[@shwnusmc119]

Who insures a blackjack though? Why would anyone ever think to do that

[@JoEmAmMaSoN]

Hey!! I’m new and I want to get going on this. What do your taxes look like in that first year? What tax rate do you pay for the earnings?

[@yamidoggy]

The reason why you would insure a 20 instead of a 16 is, if the dealer does NOT have a BJ, then you have a better fighting chance with the 20 instead of the 16. The 16 is less valuable so not a good idea to insure it.

[@davidlong6796]

Consider this- in a single deck game, if you have a 20, those are two 10 value cards the dealer couldnt have, so the odds of a dealer BJ are slightly higher if you have a shit hand than if you have a 20.

[@trompette4485]

Bro, please don't be a sucker. Insurance is called "insurance" to trick people into thinking that it has anything to do with their hand. Like Collin said, it has NOTHING to do with your hand, it's just a seperate bet. You can consider it a seperate game, you're just betting on the fact that the dealer has blackjack. If the odds are in your favor, then do insurance EVERY time, regardless of your hand.

[@yamidoggy]

@@trompette4485 Think of it like a car. You're saying I'm just side betting on whether I get into a crash or not, but nobody knows if I will or not. If you think it's unlikely, maybe you would skip insurance regardless of the condition of your car. I'm saying I would insure my car for $x if it was brand new, but won't insure it anymore for the same $x if it was old and ready to be junked. So my buying insurance depends on the condition of the car I'm insuring.

[@mikehopkins4040]

So if you take insurance and you win 10 dollars but the casino gets your insurance so they win as well?You have lost your insurance side of the bet.

[@TheTeacherUSC]

No, insurance is 2 to 1. They will pay you $10 plus you keep the original $5 of the insurance. If the dealer does not have blackjack, that's when they take your $5.

[@shreydavuluri5180]

Should I consider blackjack card counting as a primary job option or treat it as something to fall back on? Or should I just do it part time alongside my job?

[@bandmang5993]

Wait till you get good first mate

[@mentar1048]

Colin made videos on this. Just search for them.

[@SirJoelsuf1]

Part time alongside your job. Start with just playing for fun using basic strats. That's what I do.

[@davehaughey4219]

Realistically it pays around 50k a year if you spread 25-500. You will need at least a 20k bankroll to start. Plan on spending several houra a day in smokey casinos. Good luck!

[@autonomouscollective2599]

Question: If you take the insurance, does that tip off the casino that you might be card counting?

[@shamikajacobs9893]

Every time any dealer offered insurance was because they had a blackjack so I still don’t get when you should get insurance or not lol

[@tcorourke2007]

Please do a video on "do overs" and how throwing a tantrum can get your money back.

[@corbin6304]

So taking even money is a better bet if you are gambling at a Vegas Casino that pays 6:5 on a black jack.

[@daleprokop1268]

can i split 10's at true 3?

[@GaryLuKOTH]

Playing deviations say to split it at a true 5 or higher when the dealer has 5 or 6. It is best for you to study the Illustrious 18.

[@daleprokop1268]

@@GaryLuKOTH I don’t have access to that stuff I’m not subscribed that’s why I just try to think well if the counts high maybe I should do this or this but I’m just guessing. Obviously haven’t gone to a casino guessing like that tho

[@BeingHealthyy]

Does card counting work on online blackjack casino?

[@GaryLuKOTH]

He actually made a video on online casinos before. A lot of online casinos reshuffle the cards when only half the shoe is dealt, so you will not get high counts often. Even if you can get a decent edge, the games go by very slowly since you have to click on a button and wait for your live dealer to respond. This would decrease the number of hands you play per hour and thus, reducing your average hourly income. In short, he recommends that you do not try it.

[@BeingHealthyy]

So you also play online casinos?

[@Kapitan07]

It doesn't work

[@travisgodbold8899]

Taking Even money is actually better if you've got the push bet out there, cause you win twice!!!

[@travis8229]

Always insure twenties against a dealer blackjack. You have to look at it this way the worse that can happen is I win half my bet or save my bet.

[@ExtantThylacine]

Can you take every money AND insurance? Assuming the true count is 3+ of course.

[@paulsuprono7225]

Haven't seen you . . . in MONTHS ! 😎🇺🇸

[@DynamicGracer]

As a general rule, even money is WORSE than insurance, because the RC is slightly worse!!!

[@midwesternviking_ttv2986]

There's a reason most places don't let you insure a blackjack.

[@Johnny2Feathers]

Isn’t it reasonable though to take even money when say you were betting $100 a hand consistently and managed to be up $500. You decide to take a shot on your last hand for $500 and the dealer shows and ace against your blackjack. Wouldn’t you just want to take the even money for $500 and guarantee leaving up $1k instead of maybe only $500?

[@jimklemens5018]

Yes.

[@yamidoggy]

The reason why you would insure a 20 instead of a 16 is, if the dealer does NOT have a BJ, then you have a better fighting chance with the 20 instead of the 16.

[@hectech5708]

The casino I play pays you your blackjack even if the dealer has one too

[@barakoniner1644]

Where ya been colin lol God bless your brother

[@Blackjackapprenticeship]

Hey! I’m around. I’m putting out a free video a month and a free podcast a month. The rest of my time is spent serving our paying members.

[@andresboston8029]

It’s only the same if you have 21 right? If you take insurance when not having 21 then you could still lose, so not only would you lose your insurance but also your bet. That’s why you should never take anything the casino offers toy

[@greigclement9081]

If you're not card counting professionally (True count) , insurance is just another side bet. That's all I need to know.

[@pacattack2586]

Even money is probably better *IF* you already have a bad hand (if you have 16 for example)