When did insurance become widespread?

S

shadroch

Well-Known Member
#1
#1
I recently bought an undated " mini-casino' kit that was evidently given out at the El Cortez sometime in the late fifties/early sixties. Not sure exactly when, but I know it predates the use of zip codes.
It's a neat little item as on one side of the heavy cardboard felt is a craps layout and the other side is a six circle BJ table which states Dealer stands on all 17s. There is no mention of insurance being offered.
The other part of the kit is a really great little mini-roulette dish made of tin and you shoot the ball similar to the pin ball games of the time. It's only got a single green zero. This is made in Japan and is in perfect shape. Included in the auction, but not part of the original kit were two 1950s era postcards of the El Cortez that look amazingly similar to the way it looks today.
So when did insurance become a standard, as that might help me date this piece of kitsch.
 
blackchipjim

blackchipjim

Well-Known Member
#3
#3
Age of Insurance

Actually it appeared about 1800 according to history. The quatte trent or something like that game started the insurance history in the game. There were four grandfathers responsible for modern rules two Italians and two French. I know you were looking for more up to date rules but I thought I'd pull your cord on this one.:joker:
 
Maestro

Maestro

Active Member
#5
#5
According to Snyder's "The Big Book Of Blackjack", the 1957 analysis of blackjack "Playing Blackjack To Win" stated that most Nevada casinos offer insurance.
 
A

alwayssplitaces

Well-Known Member
#8
#8
Insurance makes so much money from the ploppies that take it when they have a 20 vs A or those who always take the even money. It more than outweighs the amount lost to counters. Same thing with Lucky Ladies, some ploppies always bet the Lucky Ladies every hand. It has a 25% house edge (at TC 0). At extremely high counts, it has a 25% player edge, but those counts occur rare enough that it only loses a few bucks per hour to counters. Plus it's a good screening method for counters. Ploppies bet a white or red chip every hand or almost every hand, and counters bet a green chip on it only a few times an hour when their main bet is huge.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top