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The following table (MBS-3) is probably enough MBS for most players to learn. It shows all the correct playing indices for TC’s that range from 5 to +5, and this represents over 95% of all TC’s normally encountered in any six-deck shoe game.

Modified Basic Strategy Table 3 (MBS-3)

For Hi-Low TC’s from 5 to + 5, in shoe games where dealers hit soft 17s and where doubling-down on any two cards is allowed even after splitting. No surrender offered.

The DEALER is showing a:

(Double, if the TC equals or is greater than, and hit if the TC is less than, the integers in the section above.)

(Stand, if the TC equals or is greater than, but hit if the TC is less than, the integers in the section above.)

(Double, only if the TC equals or is greater than the integers in this “soft doubling” section above. Otherwise hit or stand as BS dictates. The exception is A,7 versus A; stand if the TC is I or better)

The DEALER is showing a:

(Split, only if the TC equals or is greater than the integers shown in the section above.)

MBS-3 Notes

1. With a TC of 4 or more, insurance is justified.

2. If surrendering is allowed: (a) Surrender 14 versus 10 if the TC = 3 or more, and 14 versus A if the TC = 5 or more, (b) Surrender your 15 versus 9 or A when the TC = 2 or more, and 15 versus T if the TC is at all positive, (c) Surrender 16 versus 9, T or A with any positive count, and 16 (but not 8,8) versus 8 if the TC = 4 or more.

3. Splitting 4s is always preferable to doubling the 8, unless doubling after splitting is not allowed.

4. Notice that T’s are to be split sometimes, contrary to popular belief. Do not resplit T’s, however, if the TC falls below the respective integers shown because of cards drawn to a previous split.

5. Never split 5s regardless of how high the TC may climb.

6. Soft 18 (listed as “I8sf” above) is often obtained after doubling is no longer an option. It is included here, since it is the only soft total that has a potential MBS, depending upon which sources are accepted. Only Revere, Humble, and Cooper advise players to stand with A,7 (or any soft 18) versus an Ace when the TC is I or more; therefore, this play must be considered somewhat questionable.

With negative TC’s of 5 or less, it is always interesting to watch noncounting players’ reactions as their splits and double-downs result in extremely weak final totals “stiffs” more often than not. The players’ disgust is only exacerbated by the fact that the dealers seem to more consistently end up with pat hands (not surprising, with such a surplus of small cards eager to pop out of the shoe), perhaps after originally showing only lowly 5s or 6s. Even noncounters realize that a dealer will normally bust when starting with these poor up-cards, so they are prematurely anticipating their winnings; imagine their incredible chagrin as the dealer proceeds to draw strong totals, often 20s or 21s. What these unfortunate folk do not know is that, with only two decks remaining, a -5 count means that there are ten more small cards than big ones available to be dealt. Rather than being shocked at their resultant stiff hands and the pat hands of the dealers, the players should be much more surprised if anything other than these results occurred. Then again, they couldn’t possibly know what is apt to happen at such times, being completely unaware of the count as they are.

If you are not prepared to commit the whole MBS-3 table to memory, estimating what the numbers might be and playing accordingly is better than remaining totally ignorant of the best plays. You will still be making money from the game while you gradually increase your MBS repertoire. As with most things in life, expect to get out of these MBS charts what you are willing to put into them. In actual fact, you will gain many more rewards than merely the time and energy spent in learning these MBS integers would seem to justify.

A short visit to your respective men’s or ladies’ room when the TC is very bad will obviously save you money, and it is much easier than learning a myriad of correct negative-TC MBS plays. However, if you intend to sit down and play continuously through shoe after shoe regardless of the count, you may be wise to obtain at least a passing aquaintance with the more complete MBS-4 chart that follows. By understanding the reasoning behind the indices shown there, you will soon be able to approximate them fairly accurately, even if you do not learn them 100%.

The larger the integers that appear upon MBS tables, the less practical use they are to you, since TC’s reach these figures so rarely. Strangely enough, the more decks used, the more apt the TC’s are to remain within narrower limits. Simply abiding by BS, instead of learning and implementing 100% correct MBS for bigger numbers encountered on a chart, represents only a very small percentage loss to the player. For example, knowing that you should double a two-card total of 5 against the dealer’s 3 when the TC = 20 or more is obviously of limited value. One can expect to be in this situation approximately once every 1.6 million hands. For the vast majority of players, it is not worth exerting the effort to memorize such extreme TC ranges.