Casino & Table Games

Blackjack insurance odds

Pays

2 to 1 if the dealer has blackjack¹³

Maximum bet

Up to half the original wager³⁴

House edge (single deck)

5.9%⁵

Key points

• Insurance is a side bet that the dealer has a ten-valued hole card when the upcard is an ace.³⁴
• The dealer has a blackjack less than one-third of the time, making insurance a losing bet in the long run.¹
• When the player has a blackjack, taking insurance is the same as asking for even money.¹²

Where this term is used

• Blackjack
• Odds and probability

Not the same as

• Casino blackjack odds — a broader term for overall blackjack probabilities, not specifically the insurance side bet

Related terms

Sources

1. Blackjack en.wikipedia.org Provides the definition of insurance and the 2:1 payout.
2. Even money en.wikipedia.org Explains the even money concept related to insurance.
3. Insurance in Blackjack - Just Say No! - Wizard of Odds wizardofodds.com States the house edge and the maximum bet for insurance.
4. Blackjack wizardofodds.com Describes the insurance bet rules and the maximum wager.
5. Single-Deck Blackjack Strategy wizardofodds.com Gives the house edge for insurance in single-deck blackjack.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.