And the third crucial play in the set is to stand on a 15 against the dealer's 10, if you have a count of +4 or higher.

Another key play in Illustrious 18 is to stand on a 16 against the dealer's 10, if you have a count of 0 or higher.

(Developed by Blackjack Hall of Famer Don Schlesinger, author of the authoritative book Blackjack Attack: Playing the Pros' Way.

It summarizes the most important hands for deviating from basic strategy (the ones that give you the most bang for your buck). The following table contains what is known as the Illustrious 18 (for multi-deck games).Schlesinger is most well-known for establishing the Illustrious 18 as these play variations become inseparable part of every card counters strategy. One of his best books is Blackjack Attack – Playing the Pros’ Way as it includes both theory and its practical application and his observations are worth reading.Surveillance needs only correlate bet size with the Illustrious 18 to decide whether to further evaluate a player. Those involved with casino game protection around the world are taught to look for these specific strategy deviations. I teach the Illustrious 18 in my seminars and trainings.

That part of the strategy develops first because it happens so often and it has a fairly unambiguous result.

With only 12 generations experience, the most successful strategies are those that Stand with a hard 20, 19, 18, and possibly 17.

Good blackjack betting deviation