Here are the most common strategy changes I make due to counting:

• Hitting or standing on 12s & 13s vs 2, depending on a + or - count.
• Standing on 16 vs anything (when I'm separately counting 5s & they're near-depleted).
• Buying insurance on very positive counts.
• Not splitting Aces on moderately negative counts.
• Not doubling 10s on very negative counts (but I still double 11s)

Regardless of the count, there are two plays I never make:

• Splitting tens
• Splitting fives

As for doubling 8, just remember that - on average - 18 loses more often than it wins...not much more, but certainly more.
I might be tempted to do it on a very positive count against a dealer 5 or 6 though.

 

You'll hardly ever find this game (there are only a couple of places in Nevada that still offer it), but if you find a single deck game where you are allowed to double on anything, the actual correct basic strategy move is to double on 44 against a 5 or 6. Single deck is so sensitive to low card removal that the mere fact that your two 4's and the dealer's 5 or 6 have been removed from the deck is enough to sway the odds in your favor.

But yes on 2+ decks you would only do it if the count called for it.

 

The El-Co still has this game... but with no DAS.
I don't ever play it anymore, as I found that they'll shuffle at any point, should you increase your bet (from what you've been betting).
I've experienced them shuffling after just one hand, playing head-to-head, when I went from $10 to $20 for the second hand.
Now - that was some time ago, and perhaps they don't do that anymore - but that put me off on the game, despite the incredibly low HA...so, I haven't played it ever since.

 

There is one situation where you DO split tens.

Split tens when the table is full and you want to make room for your buddy to sit down.

 

18 may be a near 50/50 proposition, but on a good run, at a good table, with a good buzz, and a good chipstack, doubling 8 vs dealer 4/5/6 is A-ok.

We need to look at the 50/50 prop of 18 COMBINED with the increased likelihood of a dealer bust with the 4/5/6 upcard. It may be a gamble, but the increased reward makes it a risk I'll take.

 

I have a question about BJ, but it's not about splitting tens so I hope it's ok to ask here? I had two diamonds in my dealt cards and hit and got another diamond. What was everyone talking about that they were hoping dealer had another diamond? I was confused?

 

Some places pay if your hand or your and dealer's hand make a good "poker hand". It's been a long time since I've played at one I know does it, and I thought it required a side bet? Don't know. I'm up getting a bottle of water and going back to bed ; )

 

Thanks this was at Planet Hollywood.

 

blue...It was probably a variation-game of 'blackjack'...like 'Superfun 21'... or it was a side-bet thing, like DS mentioned.
In normal blackjack, suits are meaningless.

 

I just know whatever they were talking about payed like 12 or 14 to 1 and I kept getting dealt same suits often. I also noticed they used 6 decks, but they shuffled by hand and then would stack the cards in a tier. Then they would let us decide who put the black card in to cut the decks. I thought casinos used auto-shufflers? Thought it was odd, but then I'm not a table player usually. Like others have mentioned, as soon as the dealer changed the cards went to shit for the players and dealer was pulling 5 card 21's to beat 20's around the table. That's when I quit.