The Illustrious 18

Once you can keep an accurate Hi-Lo count, the next step is index plays — situations where the true count tells you to deviate from basic strategy. There are dozens of index plays. The Illustrious 18 are the ones that matter — Don Schlesinger calculated them as the 18 most-profitable deviations for a typical card counter. Get these right and you've captured roughly 90% of the gain from playing efficiency. The first three you should memorize: - Insurance at TC +3 or higher. Insurance is a -7.7% side bet at neutral count, but it flips positive at TC +3 and gets better from there. This single play is worth more than every other index combined. - 16 vs 10 at TC 0 or higher. Basic strategy hits 16 vs 10. With even a slightly positive count, you stand — the remaining shoe is rich enough in 10s that your hit-to-21 odds drop below the dealer's bust rate. - 15 vs 10 at TC +4 or higher. Same logic, higher count required. The other 15 plays cover specific stand/hit/double/split deviations on hard 12-13, soft 18-19, and pair situations. They each add fractions of a percent. Drill them on the TableSharp Illustrious 18 surface in /advanced — and never in your head at the table the first time you encounter the spot.