Reference

Index deviation chart

Basic strategy plus every Hi-Lo index play (also called a deviation): the hands where the true count changes the best play, and what each one is worth.

Printed H17 chart

Insurance: take at TC +3 or above.

Hit
Stand
Double (if you can't, hit)
Double (if you can't, stand)
Split
Surrender
Corner flag: surrender first

Every cell keeps its basic-strategy action. A chip shows the index play: S+2↑ stand when the true count is +2 or higher; H−1↓ hit when it is −1 or lower. The true count is your running count divided by the decks still to be dealt.

T = any 10-value card (10, J, Q, K). Surrender is on: check the Surrender table first; the other tables are for hands you play out. 36 index plays for these rules, insurance included (5 apply only after hitting or splitting). The printed H17 chart writes S+4↑ as 4+. Tip: arrow keys move between cells; N and Shift+N jump to the next and previous index play.

Hard totals

Hands without an ace counted as 11

Hard totals — with index plays for 6D · H17 · DAS · LS
HandYour hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
	Dealer's upcard
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8

Not shown: hard 5–7 always hit; hard 18–21 always stand.

Soft totals

Hands with an ace counted as 11

Soft totals — with index plays for 6D · H17 · DAS · LS
HandYour hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
	Dealer's upcard
A,9soft 20
A,8soft 19
A,7soft 18
A,6soft 17
A,5soft 16
A,4soft 15
A,3soft 14
A,2soft 13

Pairs

Two matching cards: split or not

Pairs — with index plays for 6D · H17 · DAS · LS
HandYour hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
	Dealer's upcard
A,A
T,T
9,9
8,8
7,7
6,6
5,5
4,4
3,3
2,2

Surrender

Decide this first, before playing the hand

Surrender — with index plays for 6D · H17 · DAS · LS
HandYour hand	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	A
	Dealer's upcard
17
16
15
14
8,8

Check this table first. Anything it does not take, play out from the hand tables.

Index plays ranked by value

Learn them from the top. Value is what adding one play to basic strategy earns, in betting units per 100 rounds, with a 1–12 bet spread. Priced for H17 tables with surrender.

1InsuranceDecline insurance when the true count is below +3; otherwise take insurance. Even money is the same bet.Also in the chart key, above the tables.+0.141· Changes the play 0.61 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.61 times per 100 rounds
214 vs 10SurrenderR+3↑Hit when the true count is below +3; otherwise surrender.+0.039· Changes the play 0.16 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.16 times per 100 rounds
312 vs 3HardS+2↑Hit when the true count is below +2; otherwise stand.+0.035· Changes the play 0.11 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.11 times per 100 rounds
415 vs 9SurrenderR+2↑Hit when the true count is below +2; otherwise surrender.+0.018· Changes the play 0.08 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.08 times per 100 rounds
5T,T vs 6PairP+4↑Stand when the true count is below +4; otherwise split.+0.018· Changes the play 0.03 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.03 times per 100 rounds
612 vs 2HardS+3↑Hit when the true count is below +3; otherwise stand.+0.016· Changes the play 0.06 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.06 times per 100 rounds
710 vs 10HardD+4↑Hit when the true count is below +4; otherwise double.+0.015· Changes the play 0.05 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.05 times per 100 rounds
89 vs 2HardD+1↑Hit when the true count is below +1; otherwise double.+0.015· Changes the play 0.10 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.10 times per 100 rounds
9T,T vs 5PairP+5↑Stand when the true count is below +5; otherwise split.+0.015· Changes the play 0.02 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.02 times per 100 rounds
1015 vs 10SurrenderH0↓Hit when the true count is 0 or lower; otherwise surrender.+0.013· Changes the play 1.52 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 1.52 times per 100 rounds
1110 vs AHardD+3↑Hit when the true count is below +3; otherwise double.+0.010· Changes the play 0.02 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.02 times per 100 rounds
128 vs 6HardD+2↑Hit when the true count is below +2; otherwise double.+0.009· Changes the play 0.04 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.04 times per 100 rounds
13A,8 vs 5SoftD+1↑Stand when the true count is below +1; otherwise double.+0.008· Changes the play 0.02 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.02 times per 100 rounds
149 vs 7HardD+3↑Hit when the true count is below +3; otherwise double.+0.006· Changes the play 0.03 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.03 times per 100 rounds
1516 vs 8SurrenderR+4↑Hit when the true count is below +4; otherwise surrender.+0.005· Changes the play 0.02 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.02 times per 100 rounds
16T,T vs 4PairP+6↑Stand when the true count is below +6; otherwise split.+0.004· Changes the play 0.01 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.01 times per 100 rounds
1712 vs 4HardH0↓Hit when the true count is 0 or lower; otherwise stand.+0.004· Changes the play 0.44 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.44 times per 100 rounds
18A,9 vs 6SoftD+4↑Stand when the true count is below +4; otherwise double.+0.003· Changes the play 0.0044 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.0044 times per 100 rounds
1916 vs 9SurrenderH−1↓Hit when the true count is -1 or lower; otherwise surrender.+0.003· Changes the play 0.21 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.21 times per 100 rounds
2011 vs AHardD−1↑Hit when the true count is below -1; otherwise double.+0.003· Changes the play 0.07 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.07 times per 100 rounds
21A,8 vs 4SoftD+3↑Stand when the true count is below +3; otherwise double.+0.003· Changes the play 0.01 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.01 times per 100 rounds
2212 vs 5HardS−2↑Hit when the true count is below -2; otherwise stand.+0.003· Changes the play 0.09 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.09 times per 100 rounds
2313 vs 2HardH−1↓Hit when the true count is -1 or lower; otherwise stand.+0.002· Changes the play 0.26 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.26 times per 100 rounds
2415 vs ASurrenderR−1↑Hit when the true count is below -1; otherwise surrender.+0.002· Changes the play 0.12 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.12 times per 100 rounds
25A,6 vs 2SoftD+1↑Hit when the true count is below +1; otherwise double.+0.002· Changes the play 0.03 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.03 times per 100 rounds
2613 vs 3HardS−2↑Hit when the true count is below -2; otherwise stand.+0.002· Changes the play 0.09 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.09 times per 100 rounds
27A,9 vs 5SoftD+5↑Stand when the true count is below +5; otherwise double.+0.001· Changes the play 0.0026 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.0026 times per 100 rounds
2812 vs 6HardS−3↑Hit when the true count is below -3; otherwise stand.+0.001· Changes the play 0.05 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.05 times per 100 rounds
29A,9 vs 4SoftD+6↑Stand when the true count is below +6; otherwise double.+0.001· Changes the play 0.0014 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.0014 times per 100 rounds
30A,8 vs 6SoftS0↓Stand when the true count is 0 or lower; otherwise double.+0.0005· Changes the play 0.07 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.07 times per 100 rounds
319,9 vs 7PairP+3↑Stand when the true count is below +3; otherwise split.+0.00038· Changes the play 0.0038 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.0038 times per 100 rounds

Together, these plays add about +0.397 units per 100 rounds. The top 9 give 78% of that. Each is measured on its own, so the total is close but not exact.

After hitting or splitting (surrender no longer offered)

These stand indices apply once surrender is off the table: a drawn hand or a split one. Priced as measured at tables without surrender, and left out of the total above.

–16 vs 10HardS0↑Hit when the true count is below 0; otherwise stand. Use surrender instead when it is available on the original two-card hand.+0.052· Changes the play 0.78 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.78 times per 100 rounds
–15 vs 10HardS+4↑Hit when the true count is below +4; otherwise stand. Use surrender instead when it is available on the original two-card hand.+0.018· Changes the play 0.09 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.09 times per 100 rounds
–16 vs AHardS+3↑Hit when the true count is below +3; otherwise stand. Use surrender instead when it is available on the original two-card hand.+0.005· Changes the play 0.02 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.02 times per 100 rounds
–15 vs AHardS+5↑Hit when the true count is below +5; otherwise stand. Use surrender instead when it is available on the original two-card hand.+0.003· Changes the play 0.01 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.01 times per 100 rounds
–16 vs 9HardS+4↑Hit when the true count is below +4; otherwise stand. Use surrender instead when it is available on the original two-card hand.+0.002· Changes the play 0.02 times per 100 roundsChanges the play 0.02 times per 100 rounds

How these values were measured

20M rounds per rule set · 1–12 spread · 6 decks, 75% dealt, DAS, RSA, 3:2, one spot

Value is the units won per 100 rounds by adding that one play to basic strategy, on 6 decks, 75% dealt, DAS, RSA, 3:2, one spot with a 1–12 bet ramp. Changes the play is how often in 100 rounds it actually changes a decision.

Measured over 20,000,000 rounds per rule set with 200 paired replications per triggered decision: conditional EV at the decision point: every round where the departure changes the play is replayed under both actions against an identical dealer hand and identical player draws from the true remaining shoe, and the difference is weighted by the wager the ramp had out. Widest 95% interval in this list: ±0.009.

These are standalone marginal values against a basic-strategy baseline. Overlapping cells are measured independently, and a departure's effect on later rounds in the same shoe is not modelled, so treat the total as close but not exact. Values were measured for 6 decks with double after split; at other rules they are a guide rather than a measurement.

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Index deviation chart

How to read this chart

Hard totals

Soft totals

Pairs

Surrender

Index plays ranked by value

After hitting or splitting (surrender no longer offered)

How these values were measured

Practice what's on this chart

Index deviation chart

How to read this chart

Hard totals

Soft totals

Pairs

Surrender

Index plays ranked by value

After hitting or splitting (surrender no longer offered)

How these values were measured

Practice what's on this chart