Take Insurance

M

Mr. Ed

Member
#1
#1
How often do you take insurance at low counts to avoid heat?

I often get "advice" from other players when I insure a 15 or 16. Then I get gasps when I surrender, followed by "tsk, tsk" and a shake of the head. Sometimes the dealer even chimes in.

At times like this, I feel like I'm instantly exposed.

Nevertheless, I always play insurance appropriately.

(I am a small player - $50 max bet)
 
S

Shoofly

Well-Known Member
#2
#2
Mr. Ed said:
How often do you take insurance at low counts to avoid heat?

I often get "advice" from other players when I insure a 15 or 16. Then I get gasps when I surrender, followed by "tsk, tsk" and a shake of the head. Sometimes the dealer even chimes in.

At times like this, I feel like I'm instantly exposed.

Nevertheless, I always play insurance appropriately.

(I am a small player - $50 max bet)
Click to expand...
Take the insurance. With the possible exception of EC, no casino I have played in would pay any attention to a player with a $50 max. With the expressions you describe, you are not exposed. They think you are stupid.
 
Zach Black

Zach Black

Active Member
#3
#3
I find it amusing when I get advice from ploppy's or even good BS players about insurance. Usually they spout off insurance is a sucker bet.

I react confused..and say I think the dealer's got the blackjack.

.
 
FLASH1296

FLASH1296

Well-Known Member
#4
#4

Re: Risk Aversion, Variance reduction, etc.

  • Take insurance at the proper Index.
  • Take "even money" with any positive True Count.
  • Take Insurance with a 20 when you are anywhere near the index.
  • Take Insurance with a 19 when you are very near the index.
 
F

forwhat77

Well-Known Member
#7
#7
I insured an 8 a few days ago with max bet out, the dealer and pit boss said are you sure you want to insure an 8???? Your only supposed to insure a good hand!! I just smiled when the dealer checked, looked up big eyed, and whispered, I have blackjack!! As for low counts, why even give them the money?? If you are doing it for cover, only insure a fraction of the bet. This really makes you look like an idiot to the pit!! And you save more in the long run...
 
C

cyclist

Active Member
#10
#10
Excsuses for Insurance

When I get comments on taking insurance, I say something like:

"Well, I have a lot of money out there now, so I thought maybe I would insure it, I worry less when its a smaller bet..." Which is applicable when the count is high and I have a big bet out.

or

"I was hoping you'd have blackjack and I wouldn't have to play these crappy cards..." Which is applicable when I insure a stiff hand.

This seems to make the dealers think I am an idiot, but who knows, maybe they are totally on to me...
 
Friendo

Friendo

Well-Known Member
#11
#11
cyclist said:
"Well, I have a lot of money out there now, so I thought maybe I would insure it, I worry less when its a smaller bet..." Which is applicable when the count is high and I have a big bet out.
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This is exactly what I say: "Don't care about this crappy 16 - it's the bet I'm insuring. I think he has a ten under that ace."

I like your second idea as well.
 
C

cyclist

Active Member
#12
#12
cyclist said:
"I was hoping you'd have blackjack and I wouldn't have to play these crappy cards..." Which is applicable when I insure a stiff hand.
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I actually had a dealer once that really thought I was insuring all my stiff hands just in hopes that I wouldn't have to play them and started feeling sorry for me and giving me advice, like "You gotta stop insuring these 14s, you're just throwing your money away, please stop..." It just happened that I was getting all the crap cards that session and was always ending up with a stiff in high counts, but the dealer really seemed to think I was a sad pathetic gambler and started to feel sorry about taking my money.
 
Gamblor

Gamblor

Well-Known Member
#14
#14
The best answers are often situational to the cards on the table, history of hands. Anything to the effect "There's no 10's on the table", "The dealer hasn't gotten any BJs all day, he's due!", "The dealer has gotten 3 BJs in a row, he's on a streak!"

If you can't think of anything, falling back on the default answer is then best: hunch, big bet, etc.,
 
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