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Insurance in blackjack is a side bet that protects against the dealer having blackjack, but it comes with a significant house edge.
When you sit down at a virtual blackjack table, you will often notice a button labelled "Insurance" that appears after the dealer reveals an Ace as their upcard. This option can seem mysterious to new players, yet understanding how it works is essential for making informed decisions at the ReSpin casino table.
Insurance is a side bet that becomes available when the dealer's face-up card is an Ace. The bet asks whether you believe the dealer's hidden card is worth ten, which would give them blackjack. If you take insurance, you wager up to half of your original stake on this outcome.
Insurance pays 2 to 1 if the dealer does have blackjack. This means if you bet £10 on insurance and the dealer reveals a ten-value card, you receive £20. However, you would still lose your original hand unless you also have blackjack, in which case the round typically pushes.
Mathematically, insurance carries a house edge of approximately 7%, making it one of the less favourable wagers in blackjack. In a standard deck, only about 30% of cards are worth ten, meaning the dealer will not have blackjack more often than they will. Most strategy guides recommend declining insurance in the long run.
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