There is no feeling in blackjack like being dealt a natural blackjack. Just seeing those two cards come face up in front of you is euphoric. It is because you won that round of blackjack and you know you have won. And then every now and then the dealer will rain on your blackjack parade and have an Ace for an up card. It does not mean that you have lost; it just makes the situation a little trickier is all.
Naturally the dealer’s first act is to offer you, no, not insurance. Insurance is not offered in blackjack when the player has a natural. When the player has a natural blackjack and the dealer has an Ace showing he offers the player even money. Yes, even money. It feels like a let-down when you were already thinking you were going to get a 3-2 payout. Almost seems like a waste of a blackjack.
But there is nothing that says you have to take that even money. In fact, you should not. And there are two reasons why.
The first reason is obvious; if you take even money then you definitely are not going to get a 3-2 payout. If you decline and wait to see what the dealer has there is still a chance that you could still get your 3-2 payout. Worse come to worse, the dealer has a natural too and you have to push. At least you have not lost any money.
The other reason is your blackjack odds. Even money is the worst payout in blackjack and it hits your blackjack odds the hardest. How hard? Even money hits your blackjack odds by 2.27%. That alone should be enough to make you decline, as if the potential of losing your 3-2 payout is not bad enough.
The point though is to decline even money when you have a natural blackjack. It is too bad for your blackjack odds and it also means giving up your 3-2 payout. Always decline even money.