| # | Hand | Basic play | Deviation | Index |
|---|
Indices are the standard Hi-Lo numbers for 4 to 8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17. Make the deviation when the true count is at or above the index (for negative indices, at or above that negative number); below it, play basic strategy. Insurance and 16 v 10 alone are worth more than the rest of the list combined.
The Illustrious 18 are the blackjack strategy changes that matter most once you’re counting cards. Take insurance at a true count of +3 or higher. Stand on 16 against a 10 at zero or above. Split tens against a dealer 5 at +5. Those three alone are worth more than the rest of the list. The chart above has all 18 plus the Fab 4 surrenders, a box that lights up every play that changes at your current count, and a free trainer that quizzes you until the numbers stick.
How to read the Illustrious 18 chart
Each row gives the hand, the dealer’s upcard, the basic strategy play, the deviation and the index. When the true count is at or above the index, make the deviation. For the plays marked “below” (12 against 4, 5 and 6, and 13 against 2 and 3), it’s the other way round: hit when the count drops under the index.
| Play | Deviation | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance | Take it | +3 |
| 16 v 10 | Stand | 0 |
| 15 v 10 | Stand | +4 |
| 10,10 v 5 | Split | +5 |
| 10,10 v 6 | Split | +4 |
| 10 v 10 | Double | +4 |
The full 18 are in the tool above. The figures are the standard Hi-Lo indices for four to eight decks with the dealer standing on soft 17.
Learning them
Start with insurance and 16 v 10. Then the two ten-splits, then the 12s. The trainer picks a random play and a true count close to its index, so you’re tested where it’s tricky, not where it’s obvious. Answer by tapping the play; wrong answers show the rule for a couple of seconds before the next question.
One practical note: splitting tens is the play most likely to draw attention from the pit. Plenty of counters skip it for that reason and live with the small cost.
You’ll need an accurate true count first: the card counting trainer handles that, and the card counting calculator converts a running count. The blackjack simulator shows what a count and spread are worth.
Insurance tops the list. To see why, the blackjack insurance calculator works out the insurance EV from the tens still in the shoe.
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