Blackjack Deviation Chart: Illustrious 18 & Fab 4

Every standard Hi-Lo index drawn into its cell. A two-tone cell shows both sides of the index: the lower-left is the play while the true count is below it, the corner is the play once the count reaches it. The chart below is the common 6-deck H17 game (DAS, late surrender) — generated by the same engine that grades decisions in the free blackjack trainer. For other rule sets, decks, or a live true count preview, use the interactive strategy chart.

6-deck H17 chart with deviations

HHitSStandDDoublePSplitRSurrenderHS ≥ 0two-tone = index cell: lower-left is the play below the index, the corner is the play once the true count reaches it — tap a cell for the full play

Hard totals

Dealer upcard

	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
8	H	H	H	H	HD ≥ +2 8 vs 6 Hi-Lo index play DTC ≥ +2Double HTC below +2Hit	H	H	H	H	H
9	HD ≥ +1 9 vs 2 Hi-Lo index play DTC ≥ +1Double HTC below +1Hit	D	D	D	D	HD ≥ +3 9 vs 7 Hi-Lo index play DTC ≥ +3Double HTC below +3Hit	H	H	H	H
10	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	HD ≥ +4 10 vs 10 Hi-Lo index play DTC ≥ +4Double HTC below +4Hit	HD ≥ +3 10 vs A Hi-Lo index play DTC ≥ +3Double HTC below +3Hit
11	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	HD ≥ -1 11 vs A Hi-Lo index play DTC ≥ -1Double HTC below -1Hit
12	HS ≥ +3 12 vs 2 Hi-Lo index play STC ≥ +3Stand HTC below +3Hit	HS ≥ +2 12 vs 3 Hi-Lo index play STC ≥ +2Stand HTC below +2Hit	HS ≥ 0 12 vs 4 Hi-Lo index play STC ≥ 0Stand HTC below 0Hit	HS ≥ -2 12 vs 5 Hi-Lo index play STC ≥ -2Stand HTC below -2Hit	HS ≥ -3 12 vs 6 Hi-Lo index play STC ≥ -3Stand HTC below -3Hit	H	H	H	H	H
13	HS ≥ -1 13 vs 2 Hi-Lo index play STC ≥ -1Stand HTC below -1Hit	HS ≥ -2 13 vs 3 Hi-Lo index play STC ≥ -2Stand HTC below -2Hit	S	S	S	H	H	H	H	H
14	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	H	HR ≥ +3 14 vs 10 Hi-Lo index play RTC ≥ +3Surrender HTC below +3Hit	H
15	S	S	S	S	S	H	H	HR ≥ +2 15 vs 9 Hi-Lo index play RTC ≥ +2Surrender HTC below +2Hit	RS ≥ +4 15 vs 10 Hi-Lo index play RWith surrender offeredSurrender at every count SNo surrender, TC ≥ +4Stand HNo surrender, TC below +4Hit	RS ≥ +5 15 vs A Hi-Lo index play RWith surrender offeredSurrender at every count SNo surrender, TC ≥ +5Stand HNo surrender, TC below +5Hit
16	S	S	S	S	S	H	HR ≥ +4 16 vs 8 Hi-Lo index play RTC ≥ +4Surrender HTC below +4Hit	RS ≥ +5 16 vs 9 Hi-Lo index play RWith surrender offeredSurrender at every count SNo surrender, TC ≥ +5Stand HNo surrender, TC below +5Hit	RS ≥ 0 16 vs 10 Hi-Lo index play RWith surrender offeredSurrender at every count SNo surrender, TC ≥ 0Stand HNo surrender, TC below 0Hit	RS ≥ +3 16 vs A Hi-Lo index play RWith surrender offeredSurrender at every count SNo surrender, TC ≥ +3Stand HNo surrender, TC below +3Hit
17	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

Soft totals

Dealer upcard

	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
A,2	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,3	H	H	H	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,4	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,5	H	H	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,6	HD ≥ +1 A,6 vs 2 Hi-Lo index play DTC ≥ +1Double HTC below +1Hit	D	D	D	D	H	H	H	H	H
A,7	D	D	D	D	D	S	S	H	H	H
A,8	S	S	SD ≥ +3 A,8 vs 4 Hi-Lo index play DTC ≥ +3Double STC below +3Stand	SD ≥ +1 A,8 vs 5 Hi-Lo index play DTC ≥ +1Double STC below +1Stand	SD ≥ 0 A,8 vs 6 Hi-Lo index play DTC ≥ 0Double STC below 0Stand	S	S	S	S	S
A,9	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S	S

Pairs

Dealer upcard

	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
2,2	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
3,3	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
4,4	H	H	H	P	P	H	H	H	H	H
5,5	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	H	H
6,6	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H	H
7,7	P	P	P	P	P	P	H	H	H	H
8,8	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	R
9,9	P	P	P	P	P	S	P	P	S	S
10,10	S	S	S	SP ≥ +5 10,10 vs 5 Hi-Lo index play PTC ≥ +5Split STC below +5Stand	SP ≥ +4 10,10 vs 6 Hi-Lo index play PTC ≥ +4Split STC below +4Stand	S	S	S	S	S
A,A	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P	P

* Only at tables without surrender. When you can surrender these hands (16 vs 9/10/A, 15 vs 10, 15 vs A), keep surrendering at every count — its flat half-bet loss stays better than standing as the deck enriches in tens. The starred stand indices are the hit/stand crossovers for when surrender isn't available.

The Illustrious 18, ranked

Don Schlesinger's list in profitability order — the first few rows carry most of the money, so if you only learn part of it, learn from the top down. Insurance at true count +3 is #1; the famous 16 vs 10 stand is #2.

Illustrious 18 deviations with H17 and S17 true count indexes
#	Your hand	Dealer shows	H17 index play	S17 index play
1	Insurance	A	Take at TC ≥ +3	Take at TC ≥ +3
2	16	10	Stand at TC ≥ 0	Stand at TC ≥ 0
3	15	10	Stand at TC ≥ +4	Stand at TC ≥ +4
4	10,10	5	Split at TC ≥ +5	Split at TC ≥ +5
5	10,10	6	Split at TC ≥ +4	Split at TC ≥ +4
6	10	10	Double at TC ≥ +4	Double at TC ≥ +4
7	12	3	Stand at TC ≥ +2	Stand at TC ≥ +2
8	12	2	Stand at TC ≥ +3	Stand at TC ≥ +3
9	11	A	Double at TC ≥ -1	Double at TC ≥ +1
10	9	2	Double at TC ≥ +1	Double at TC ≥ +1
11	10	A	Double at TC ≥ +3	Double at TC ≥ +4
12	9	7	Double at TC ≥ +3	Double at TC ≥ +3
13	16	9	Stand at TC ≥ +5	Stand at TC ≥ +5
14	13	2	Stand at TC ≥ -1	Stand at TC ≥ -1
15	12	4	Stand at TC ≥ 0	Stand at TC ≥ 0
16	12	5	Stand at TC ≥ -2	Stand at TC ≥ -2
17	12	6	Stand at TC ≥ -3	Stand at TC ≥ -1
18	13	3	Stand at TC ≥ -2	Stand at TC ≥ -2

The Fab 4 surrenders

The highest-value surrender indices (with the companion 16 vs 8 index). They only apply at tables offering late surrender.

Fab 4 surrender deviations with H17 and S17 true count indexes
Your hand	Dealer shows	H17 index play	S17 index play
14	10	Surrender at TC ≥ +3	Surrender at TC ≥ +3
15	9	Surrender at TC ≥ +2	Surrender at TC ≥ +2
15	10	Surrender at TC ≥ 0	Surrender at TC ≥ 0
15	A	Surrender at TC ≥ -1	Surrender at TC ≥ +1
16	8	Surrender at TC ≥ +4	Surrender at TC ≥ +4

What changes under S17

When the dealer stands on soft 17, only these indices move — every other cell in the chart is identical. A dash means no standard index exists under that rule.

Indices that differ between H17 and S17
Your hand	Dealer shows	H17 index play	S17 index play
11	A	Double at TC ≥ -1	Double at TC ≥ +1
10	A	Double at TC ≥ +3	Double at TC ≥ +4
12	6	Stand at TC ≥ -3	Stand at TC ≥ -1
16	A	Stand at TC ≥ +3	Stand at TC ≥ +5
15	A	Stand at TC ≥ +5	—
A,8 (soft 19)	6	Double at TC ≥ 0	Double at TC ≥ +1
15	A	Surrender at TC ≥ -1	Surrender at TC ≥ +1

How to actually learn these

Recalling the right index mid-shoe is the hard part, not reading the chart. The trainer keeps a live Hi-Lo count and grades every decision against this chart as you play, and the interactive chart can preview any true count to show exactly which cells flip.