---
title: 'When to Take Insurance in Blackjack'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=rQJ95P_6GKM'
video_id: 'rQJ95P_6GKM'
date: 2026-08-12
duration_sec: 61
channel: 'A1 Blackjack'
---

# When to Take Insurance in Blackjack

> Source: [When to Take Insurance in Blackjack](https://youtube.com/watch?v=rQJ95P_6GKM)

## Summary

This video explains when to take insurance in blackjack, distinguishing between casual players and card counters. It emphasizes that insurance is a side bet and should generally be avoided unless the count is favorable.

### Key Points

- **Insurance as a Side Bet** [00:01] — Insurance is technically a side bet on whether the dealer has blackjack. For non-card counters, it's typically a bad bet and should never be taken.
- **Card Counter Strategy** [00:14] — Card counters should take insurance when the count is high enough, meaning there are enough 10-valued cards left in the shoe. The ratio of high to low cards makes the bet profitable.
- **Insurance Bet Mechanics** [00:28] — When taking insurance, you bet half your original wager. If the dealer has blackjack, you lose your initial bet but win the insurance bet at 2:1, resulting in a wash.
- **Threshold for Shoe Games** [00:43] — In a shoe game (multiple decks), the threshold for taking insurance is a true count of +3 or higher.
- **Threshold for Single/Double Deck** [00:57] — In a single or double deck game, the threshold is a true count of +2.5 or higher.

### Conclusion

Insurance is a profitable bet only for card counters when the true count reaches specific thresholds. For everyone else, it's a sucker bet that should be avoided.

## Transcript

know when playing Blackjack is when to take insurance. Now, if you're not a card counter, don't ever take insurance as it's technically a side bet as to whether or not the dealer has Blackjack. We know that side bets are typically a
scam. All right, so that said, um if you are a card counter, there's a point at which the count is high enough when there's enough 10 valued cards left in play, so the ratio of high to low cards is such that by betting the insurance
bar, you play half your bet. In this case, we bet 200, so we put 100 on the insurance bar, and if the dealer has Blackjack, then what happens is we lose our initial bet, but we get paid two to one. [music] So, it's essentially a wash
in that case. Now, what is that number? In [music] in a shoe game, so if it's a playing, it's at true count of plus three or higher. And if you're playing going to be at a true count of plus two
and a half or higher is when you want to take insurance if you're a card counter.