The simpler the game...

the longer you can accurately play. A slight loss in ev for a big addition in the length of time you can put in for a day translates into more earnings. APs that rely on their harvest from casinos to pay the rent and eat have to be opportunistic feeders. To succeed at playing the game for a living you have to play games that offer the best win rates and be well versed in the accompanying strategies. You may have to play a deeply dealt H17 2 deck game in the morning with no DAS and little heat then later that evening play a S17 6 deck game with DAS, late surrender, and an indifferent dealer. This takes a toll on a players stamina. I memorized -3 through +10, DAS, no DAS, late surrender and the plays that give you the lions share of the gain between H17 and S17. After I did that I understood why SW said he used -1 to +6 because he would often have to memorize the numbers for a specific set of rules on his way to the next game. I was planning on playing again because of all the new casinos nearby and I was going to use the I18 as well but after a week long scouting trip the pen was garbage and the games unplayable to me. I played an awful lot of blackjack successfully in my day and the advantage of using the I18 was abundantly clear to me.

With today's games and conditions, it is mostly about getting the money down in plus situations and concentrating on whatever act, or style of play you need to get that job done. Index plays, play less of a role than they once did with better games, and there is even a negative aspect involved because index plays can help identify a card counter.

You could almost make a case, that reducing index plays even further to a select few and really concentrating on what you need to do to get the money down (act or style of play) is really the way to go, in today's world.

This single deviation(and most important for a card counter) from basic strategy has given me more heat than any of my other plays, including splitting 10s. Insuring a big bet(relative to your avg bet) with crap cards screams card counter in many cases, especially if you are right. No matter how much you streamline your index plays, insurance will probably be a cornerstone of your play. I know very few ways to deflect heat with this kind of play, some of which I can not do by myself.

After the I18, I would learn indices for hard doubles, stiffs vs 7-A, soft doubles for A8/A9, and surrender(if applicable). I say go for broke, learn as many indices as you can. As long as insurance is an integral part of your play, it will be fairly easy for the watchful eye to determine that you are a card counter.

Index plays could also identify you as a poor playing non card counter.

regular players just don't insure stifs. and it is too much benefit to not take inusrance.
I really don't think it helps any, but I have tried the following:
if taking insurance on a 10 or 11- something a ploppy would do, throw the cards face up so the pit can see. if a non-typical hand, just kep hidden.

Dealer: You're insuring a 14? Hey man-it's up to you 'ya know-but most people don't insure 14's-know what I mean?

Me: Well-I just like the idea of insurance-know what I mean?

Half way into next shoe:Dealer shows Ace vs my 20-insurance not taken!
*hoping they don't remember*
They don't.

BTW-Thank you Fred Renzey for making the insurance bet so clear in BJBBII years ago-you have saved me a ton of $$$ over the years!

Over the years, at least insofar as the dealer and pit boss go, I had a lot of success, insurance stiffs, with the following line: "I'm not going to win with this lousy hand against your ace, so I'd rather bet on you. I hope you have it."

But, let's not be naive. The EITS can't hear any of the banter at the table. So, if they're watching, all the talk in the world doesn't do any good. If, on the other hand, a suspicious pit boss was inclined to pick up the phone, your throwing out a line like that can, and does, on occasion, placate him enough so that he doesn't call upstairs, and that's why we do it.

Don

Nice comments Prankster. They probably won't remember, if they do, so what. Tell them you changed your mind!