Back Counting

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One of the most popular card counting strategies is a Back Counting, or, as it also known, Wonging. It was called after its inventor Stanford Wong, that’s why it was called WONGing. It is a funny fact that it is not inventor’s real name but a pseudonym. The real name of the inventor is John Ferguson. He called himself Wong because it sounded mysterious. John Ferguson is a professor of economics and an author of “Professional Blackjack” book.
The idea of this strategy is to stand near the blackjack table and to count cards. So, it is certainly can not be used while playing in the Internet casinos. When there are not so many cards left in the shoe, and the cards can be easily predicted, the Wonging player enters the game, makes big bets and takes the bank. So the main idea is to count and to enter the game at the most proper time. Wongers behave themselves as simple observers, just hanging around the table waiting for their time.
It is a simple strategy, and it has its own advantages and disadvantages.
The main advantage is that the wonging player does not waste money on bets while counting. It is a great advantage but… Meanwhile the big brother is watching you! Through years casino’s security learnt to determine wongers, and it appeared not such a hard thing. Wongers drive a lot attention to themselves by sudden entering to the game. That is why almost any casino offers to those who came “just to watch the game” to sit aside the gaming tables or even don’t permit them.
It is annoying as well! Nobody likes wongers, because of their strategy. When a wonger enters the game he/she begins to receive the best cards and spoils the game for all other players at the table! Some casinos establish a rule that nobody can enter the table at the middle of the deck.
The bottom line is that wonging is not illegal. Wongers do not even play for a long time at one table – they just jump in and jump off after several bets, and before next shuffling. Yes, they spoil the game for an average blackjack player by entering blackjack table at the time they need, and kind off stealing other players’ luck, but it is again not illegal!
Wongers even have their own professional etiquette. For example, if two wongers play in one casino and accidentally entered one table they have the next rule: Don’t enter the game that is already being wonged!”

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