Taking even money

Blackjack is a nice feather in your cap. 3:2, baby. Hook me up with a little extra for my good fortune. All right, you’re ahead of the game. But all the happy feelings are only bound to that moment if you get that 3:2 payoff. Which is generally why regular players will scold you worse than hitting a 15 against a dealer’s 6 if you take even money.

Counting aside, if you take even money, you can’t turn your noses up at the folks who take insurance against a dealer’s Ace. Why? It’s really the same thing. You’re handicapping yourself either way. Now, most regulars will straight up tell you taking insurance is a sucker’s bet, and therefore know enough to stay away from the even money bets, as well. I tend to be one of those players.

Now, if you’re talking about video blackjack, there’s a tiny bit of difference. You won’t notice it if you’re only playing for a few hours one night, but if you’re on a cruise or in Vegas for a week or so, it’ll add up. What am I talking about? If you’re betting $20, the dealer shows an Ace and you take even money, your bet for the hand is marked as $20. If you take insurance on the hand, however, the bet is marked at $30.

Now, if you are counting, taking even money is another in the bag of tricks at camoflaging your play. The old saying goes, “You’ve got to lose a little to make ‘em think you’re not trying to win.” OK, I just made that up, but I’m sure there’s a saying that captures the spirit of that. Counters try everything to throw the pit crew off their trail, and if they make a few playing “mistakes” here or there – that may or may not actually affect their bottom line at the end of the session – it makes sense to play the hand that way.