At just 21 years old, a child actually, he had just placed a ridiculously large Blackjack bet at a Lake Tahoe casino.

The lone column of chips in front of me represented my net worth.

This was going to be my last hand, one way or another.

The dealer fanned the cards around the table.

Oh no, he drew an ace as his up card!

I felt a blush on my face, ashamed of having endured at that table for so many losing hands in a row.

Expecting the worst, I looked at my cards.

I had two jacks, which in most circumstances would at least give me a draw, if not an outright win.

He looked at his card face down.

“Sure?” he asked her, looking at each player in turn.

I was at third base, the last seat, so it took me a while to catch up.

I had been taught that insurance is a fool’s bet. You bet more cash on a bad hand that isn’t worth protecting and the dealer still wins it, with or without reaching 21.

But this time, instead of reflexively rejecting the “coverage” and the additional premium I would have had to pay for it, I looked at him and asked sternly:

“What do you suggest?”

After a two-second pause that seemed to spread a soundproofing vapor throughout the casino, allowing only him and me to hear each other, he said, “Take it!”

Would you lie to me? Was she really admitting that she had a ten under that ace, that she was about to take me out if she didn’t accept the offer?

I bought the insurance. I was twenty one. I got my bet back.

And, throwing him a serious tip, I graciously left the table.

This was not a gaming episode, although by all outward appearances it appeared to be.

It was a negotiation, showing that the most important thing your counterpart has is not power or money or more options than you.

He has INFORMATION that is critical to your success. If you can get him to reveal it, you’ll be a winner.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of asking, even though that’s the last thing we do.

We disable ourselves thinking “He would never tell me that!” or “It is against his interest to make such a disclosure!”

You’d be surprised, as I was when the dealer helped me.

Remember, the only sure way to stay safe in negotiation is to get the information you need!