Jack Fate: Insurance heat.

[Jack Fate]

How much do I give up by not using insurance at T.C.+3 playing hi-lo? As my game has improved and become more effective I am starting to catch quite a bit of heat on insuance plays, mostly when playing green. This is causing me to cut sessions even shorter, leaving good games sooner than I'd like. Should I maybe only insure 20's when called for or forget about taking insurance at all,or maybe only make that play once be session. Thanks for the help. Jack.

[Parker]

> How much do I give up by not using insurance
> at T.C.+3 playing hi-lo? As my game has
> improved and become more effective I am
> starting to catch quite a bit of heat on
> insuance plays, mostly when playing green.
> This is causing me to cut sessions even
> shorter, leaving good games sooner than I'd
> like. Should I maybe only insure 20's when
> called for or forget about taking insurance
> at all,or maybe only make that play once be
> session. Thanks for the help. Jack.

Insurance is the most important strategy deviation, accounting for over a third of all the gain available from the I-18 (BJA, 2nd ed.). So, it is too important to simply abandon.

If I'm at a casino where I'm not a regular, I like to take insurance the first time the dealer shows an ace and I have a decent hand, even if the count doesn't call for it. This establishes me to the pit as "someone who takes insurance" and helps deflect heat on subsequent insurance bets when the count does call for it.

Always insuring a blackjack ("even money") is another gambit that does not give up a great deal of EV.

[Don Schlesinger]

> Should I maybe only insure 20's when
> called for or forget about taking insurance
> at all?

Actually, although the "one-index-fits-all" insurance number for 6-deck hi-lo is +3, it's nearly +3.3 for insuring a 10-10 twenty.

In any event, insuring so sparingly will erode your edge, so it's better to find some patter to go along with your bet. If you have a lousy hand, say something like, "I can't win with my hand, so I may as well bet on yours." If you have a natural or a good hand, say, "It would be a shame not to get paid on this," etc. Give it a little thought, and I'm sure you can come up with some ideas.

Of course, I understand that, to a trained eye in the sky, none of the above really matters.

Don

[Ouchez]

insurance or even money at the proper time. I think it is a bad move to give up ev in any circumstance. This is why you work so hard to become skilled, to beat the evil casino, at their own game. Heaven knows they beat just about everyone else. You will find a good size bet out at these times and need to take the insurance.

One thought, if you are a regular at a casino they will see the wins and the losses, they will feel they will get another shot at you when you win and they will become to feel comfortable with you, some, not all. Therefore I sometimes question the tactic of short playing sessions at several casinos.

I think there is alot to be said to being considered a "Regular".

Best,
Ouchez.

[Jack Fate]

when I was playing last week I hit the bet the first two times. When I took it the third time the rest of the table followed and I hit it again! After that I was assigned a pit critter to watch my play. The session prior to that [ at a store I rarely play ] I got hasseled for a players card. Obviously proper use of insurance requires more camo than I've been giving it. Just one more thing to work on. Thanks to all. Jack.

[thanks4thefish]

Perhaps you've become overly paranoid as proper use of insurance is only one play the pit may look for. It seems strange they'd only target this & nothing else about your play. Like you, I feel it's better to be a little paranoid about heat, I'm just questioning that they'd isolate one play, so you should be looking at all forms of cover.

As suggested, try insuring BJ at all counts, ala Anderson's Ultimate Gambit. Insure one hand, (the better one- gotta protect it & not the other with two boxes if it's a borderline decision. If you haven't got 'Burning the Tables', you should get it.

If they ask you about your insuring sometimes, others not, or if it seems appropriate to volunteer it & you're confident doing so, you can say that you always insure BJ because you're not stupid, explaining you get paid no matter what, & that you insure the bigger bets & not the smaller ones because you sweat them, (same as 16v10.) Don't volunteer too much at once, make them ask & don't patronise them, avoid anything technical sounding. It should sound 'off the cuff', maybe even aggressive. 'What does it matter what I do, I insure no BJ, I don't insure bang, either way I do my ass.'

Remember only a counter would know he's being cross-examined, a ploppy would just think the pit/ dealer's making conversation so go along with the latter.

If the dealer has an Ace up, you have a big bet out & the count drops faster than a brides nightie & you don't insure, then you can curse if the dealer gets a BJ, that you're an idiot. 'I can't even get away with it once.' If you're the quiet type just mutter to youself beratingly.

Don't worry too much about being inconsistent, you're a gambler. I've heard some players curse every day they're never coming back to this lousy joint, but they're always back.

If they only want players who play like complete idiots, then you're better off finding new territory. Might take the heat off for when you return.

[Fred Renzey]

The first time the dealer's got an Ace up, go ahead and take Insurance for one-fifth, or one-tenth of your bet just for show. When you've got B/J against an Ace, you can say, "I wanna make sure I win something", and take $5 or $10 worth on a $50 bet. After passing on a few Insurance bets, vary the amount from a little more at modestly positive counts to the bare minimum at neutral counts. An occasional $5 Insurance bet at a neutral count costs 35 cents, average. Later, when Insurance is warranted, taking the full amount won't look so out of place. At these warranted times, you can also occasionally take Insurance for say, 40% of your bet.

[Jack Fate]

I read "Burning The Tables" a few years ago and it's still on the shelf.I will reread that section. I don't think I'm being overly parinoid about the attention I am getting for this play.It's raising eyebrows no doubt.So few players are taking insuance that maybe its considered some sort of tell.Splitting nines seems to do the same thing on a smaller scale.

[sam]

"either way I do my ass"--What does that mean?

> Perhaps you've become overly paranoid as
> proper use of insurance is only one play the
> pit may look for. It seems strange they'd
> only target this & nothing else about
> your play. Like you, I feel it's better to
> be a little paranoid about heat, I'm just
> questioning that they'd isolate one play, so
> you should be looking at all forms of cover.

> As suggested, try insuring BJ at all counts,
> ala Anderson's Ultimate Gambit. Insure one
> hand, (the better one- gotta protect it
> & not the other with two boxes if it's a
> borderline decision. If you haven't got
> 'Burning the Tables', you should get it.

> If they ask you about your insuring
> sometimes, others not, or if it seems
> appropriate to volunteer it & you're
> confident doing so, you can say that you
> always insure BJ because you're not stupid,
> explaining you get paid no matter what,
> & that you insure the bigger bets &
> not the smaller ones because you sweat them,
> (same as 16v10.) Don't volunteer too much at
> once, make them ask & don't patronise
> them, avoid anything technical sounding. It
> should sound 'off the cuff', maybe even
> aggressive. 'What does it matter what I do,
> I insure no BJ, I don't insure bang, either
> way I do my ass.'

> Remember only a counter would know he's
> being cross-examined, a ploppy would just
> think the pit/ dealer's making conversation
> so go along with the latter.

> If the dealer has an Ace up, you have a big
> bet out & the count drops faster than a
> brides nightie & you don't insure, then
> you can curse if the dealer gets a BJ, that
> you're an idiot. 'I can't even get away with
> it once.' If you're the quiet type just
> mutter to youself beratingly.

> Don't worry too much about being
> inconsistent, you're a gambler. I've heard
> some players curse every day they're never
> coming back to this lousy joint, but they're
> always back.

> If they only want players who play like
> complete idiots, then you're better off
> finding new territory. Might take the heat
> off for when you return.

[thanks4thefish]

> "either way I do my ass"--What
> does that mean?

To do 'one's ass, or balls', possibly a local expression is to lose heavily. I've heard it used a lot by Lebanese, Italians & Greeks at the tables.

Thanks for asking whilst my posts are being moderated

[sam]

Thanks. I'd never heard that expression before.

To do 'one's ass, or balls', possibly a
> local expression is to lose heavily. I've
> heard it used a lot by Lebanese, Italians
> & Greeks at the tables.

> Thanks for asking whilst my posts are being
> moderated

[Moose]

If your spread is big enough, a simple solution is to "Insure for less" every time the dealer gets an ace, with some comment to the effect that you always insure for less. The catch being, of course, that you are insuring a $5 bet for 0.50 and a $100 bet for $49.

Like leechcraft, the cure might be more deadly than the disease.

Another line I always use as to why I don't insure my small bets is that they aren't worth protecting. "What's the point of insuring a $5 bet? Nothing to save."

M.