Should you take insurance when playing Blackjack Switch?

I have read that when playing standard 3:2 blackjack, insurance has a House Edge of -1/13. The dealer hole card is a 10, 4/13 percent of the time. But you lose your insurance bet 9/13 percent of the the time when the hole card is NOT a 10. With Insurance paying 2:1, the edge would be 2*4/13 - 9/13 = -1/13.

Even if you have a Blackjack and are offered "even money" (another way of taking insurance) all strategies claim it is better to NOT take insurance because, as first mentioned, more often than not the dealer doesn't have a 10 hole card. Therefore it is better to chance getting paid 3:2, rather than take a push if the dealer DOES have blackjack.

I recently came across a casino game of Blackjack Switch that offers the standard 2:1 payout on an insurance bet when the dealer shows an Ace. The thing is that Blackjack Switch doesn't pay 3:2, it only pays 1:1, or even money on a natural blackjack even though the house has the same -1/13 advantage by comparison. It should be noted that a player cannot switch cards to create a 21 until after insurance is closed and the dealer peaks for blackjack.

When a player is dealt a natural blackjack in both standard and switch games, and the dealer shows an Ace up to offer insurance, the player either takes or declines insurance, and the dealer has a blackjack or doesn't, resulting in 4 possible outcomes:

1. Take insurance , dealer has blackjack and it's a push on the initial bet, and a win of 2:1 on the insurance bet, or even money.
2. Don't take insurance, dealer has blackjack and it's a push.
3. Take insurance, dealer DOESN'T have blackjack and player will lose 50% of their betting unit (the insurance bet) and player wins on blackjack, (this is an overall even money win ONLY under a standard blackjack game.)
4. Don't take insurance, dealer DOESN'T have blackjack and player wins on blackjack.

All Outcomes are the same, except standard blackjack pays 3:2 rather than 1:1 under switch so payouts for Outcomes 3 and 4 will be different. This payout difference only exists if the player has a natural blackjack. If the player has a 20, or any other total, normal basic strategy (per variation of blackjack game) still applies.

Sorry it's taking so long to get to my question, which is:

Is it EVER a good idea, that is, is there a House Edge Odds benefit to the player to take insurance when playing Blackjack Switch? Since you don't have the advantages of a natural paying out at 3:2, should you take insurance at least when you have a natural playing switch?

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Blackjack insurance is always a side bet, but if there are times when card counters take insurance because of the 3:2 Blackjack payout of a standard game, does changing the payout to 1:1 change the strategy for taking insurance in a Switch game? Knowing that casinos don't offer side bets that are better for the player than the house, I suppose it's safe to assume the odds are not in the players favor enough to take the bet away from the player. If it made too much of an odds swing, the game wouldn't offer insurance. For all I know it may actually make the odds worse for the player. In general, it may be a bad side bet, but much like basic strategy for Switch is slightly different from Standard Blackjack, I was curious how it effects the House Edge.

Maybe this question can apply to any game where a standard shoe is used and insurance is offered as 2:1 payout. Several blackjack variations use a Spanish shoe, but Switch uses a "standard" shoe.

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I think the original poster has this in mind:

even money is equivalent to an insurance bet, but only on a 3:2 payout game.
However if the blackjack payout is lower, even money is worth more than insurance.

If a blackjack is payed 1:1 but could push on a dealers blackjack, taking an "even money" offer is better than declining it (since you get the same payout, but avoid the push).
But the insurance bet (which pays 2:1 on a ten in as holecard) is the same for every blackjack payout.

I'm not sure if you are offered even money or insurance in blackjack switch. If it is even money, you should take it.

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If playing 6:5 blackjack, and the dealer offers you "even money" while you have a BJ and the dealer is showing an Ace, by all means feel free to take it, regardless of the count!

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

No even money in bj switch

I've come across various rules for Switch including not being allowed to break a BJ and being allowed to take Even Money. I was somewhat taken aback when first offered it (and obviously said yes) and checked with the manager (afterwards) who agreed it was their policy to offer Even Money.

So in answer to your question - yes you should take Even Money if it's offered!

I always wondered why/when there would be any reason to take insurance when card counting. Thanks for clearing this up as well.

If even money is offered, then it sounds like it's the way to go, as it guarantees the payout and avoids the push scenario. BUT only if even money is the offer. If it's just straight insurance, then as always, a player is risking the 50% loss if the dealer doesn't have a 10 hole card. I'll have to inquire about that the next time I'm at the casino.