How do you get paid on 18 v 18 which is a push? If you get paid on what should be pushes then no need to count at all - just play every hand!

If you do not get paid on pushes then you need to count which is the real world. So back to the real world.

Insurance is the most important playing strategy deviations. HL + AA78mTc >= 4*dr gives almost a perfect insurance decision increasing the HL >= 3*dr CC around 78% to HL + AA78mTc >= 4*dr CC of around 96%. Just the insurance decision alone is enough to justify adding the AA78mTc to the HL which gives a pseudo Ten count. Thorp's original Beat the Dealer used the Ten count and HL + AA78mTc gives a Ten count which you use when you need a Ten count and you still have HL for betting and all other playing strategy changes.