Insuring other player's bets at true cout +3 or higher

shinyam

Well-Known Member
If insurance at +3 is a good bet, then should I be insuring other player's bets? I was back-lining a player when the dealer showed an ace at TC 3+. The player didn't want insurance. He had $25 up, and I had $75 behind him. I was going to insure my own bet for $37.50, and was getting change when the player said to just put down $50 for both bets. This got me thinking. I could make money by insuring other player's big bets at +3 or higher. Would this seem suspicious? I've never seen it done. Technically, it wouldn't be a problem. I'd just hand over the chips to the players and ask them to buy insurance for their bet. Anyone actually do this?
 

zengrifter

Banned
shinyam said:
If insurance at +3 is a good bet, then should I be insuring other player's bets? I was back-lining a player when the dealer showed an ace at TC 3+. The player didn't want insurance. He had $25 up, and I had $75 behind him. I was going to insure my own bet for $37.50, and was getting change when the player said to just put down $50 for both bets. This got me thinking. I could make money by insuring other player's big bets at +3 or higher. Would this seem suspicious? I've never seen it done. Technically, it wouldn't be a problem. I'd just hand over the chips to the players and ask them to buy insurance for their bet. Anyone actually do this?
Many of us do it on occaission. Even better when backlining. zg
 

bj bob

Well-Known Member
shinyam said:
If insurance at +3 is a good bet, then should I be insuring other player's bets? I was back-lining a player when the dealer showed an ace at TC 3+. The player didn't want insurance. He had $25 up, and I had $75 behind him. I was going to insure my own bet for $37.50, and was getting change when the player said to just put down $50 for both bets. This got me thinking. I could make money by insuring other player's big bets at +3 or higher. Would this seem suspicious? I've never seen it done. Technically, it wouldn't be a problem. I'd just hand over the chips to the players and ask them to buy insurance for their bet. Anyone actually do this?
If you're already backlining, it's usually no big deal, HOWEVER if you're pimping everyone else's insurance bets, you might as well be wearing a "boot me" sign on the back of your shirt.
 

callipygian

Well-Known Member
shinyam said:
I was going to insure my own bet for $37.50, and was getting change when the player said to just put down $50 for both bets. This got me thinking. I could make money by insuring other player's big bets at +3 or higher. Would this seem suspicious?
There's a logistical problem here, which is that most people view insurance as "saving" their bet. It doesn't - their bet gets lost and the insurance bet is paid off.

If you put an insurance bet down for someone and win, you are entitled to take your winning bet plus "their" bet when a ten comes up. Given that they view "their" bet as "their" money, this will create problems.
 

ihate17

Well-Known Member
There is a time to leave the casino--A Tale from the felt.

I am playing a high limit room double deck game where I had a dealer who I could read a bit over 50% of the time with one other player at the table.
The other guy has two bets of $2,000 on the table while my bet about 1/8 of his. Dealer shows an ace and I know he has a paint in the hole, so I buy insurance on my hand and tell the other player that if he did not want to insure his hand that I would like too. So I land up putting $2,000 cash on the table buying his insurance and get my 2-1 payout in chips, putting the cash back in my pocket.
While the dealer is giving me the chips the other guy starts in that I am some kind of jinx and is asking the pit to set him up with his own private table. One thing I learned a long time ago is that if you piss off one of the casinos big losers, the casino will try very hard to find a way to punish you. With a good win holecarding plus this great, no way I could lose, insurance play, I tell the guy he can have this table and I leave.

ihate17
 

callipygian

Well-Known Member
Nobody's ever contested your insurance wins?

This seems like a pretty obvious angleshooting opportunity - allow someone to place insurance on your bet, and then demand half the winnings if they make it.

I'd probably do it if someone tried to do it to me. :p
 

moo321

Well-Known Member
ihate17 said:
I am playing a high limit room double deck game where I had a dealer who I could read a bit over 50% of the time with one other player at the table.
The other guy has two bets of $2,000 on the table while my bet about 1/8 of his. Dealer shows an ace and I know he has a paint in the hole, so I buy insurance on my hand and tell the other player that if he did not want to insure his hand that I would like too. So I land up putting $2,000 cash on the table buying his insurance and get my 2-1 payout in chips, putting the cash back in my pocket.
While the dealer is giving me the chips the other guy starts in that I am some kind of jinx and is asking the pit to set him up with his own private table. One thing I learned a long time ago is that if you piss off one of the casinos big losers, the casino will try very hard to find a way to punish you. With a good win holecarding plus this great, no way I could lose, insurance play, I tell the guy he can have this table and I leave.

ihate17
Wow, I never even thought of insuring other people hands when holecarding. Probably wouldn't do it unless it was like your situation where the guy had a pile of money out.

I sure wish they'd offer insurance with a ten up...
 

21forme

Well-Known Member
moo321 said:
I sure wish they'd offer insurance with a ten up...
I once was playing with a monster count and unfortunately big negative variance, but I kept plugging away with big bets as long the count warranted it. After a dealer BJ, next hand dealer had a 10 showing, as I did. The PC was watching the game and I asked him if I could insure the hand because the way my luck was running, I was sure he had a BJ. PC said no, and that satisfied him I was a steamer and he went away while I made my comeback.
 
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