If you enjoy playing blackjack, you may have heard of the various strategies that some blackjack players employ. For example, you’ve most likely heard about card counting.
But did you know about back counting? Back counting is also commonly known as Wonging, named after the person who invented it.
In this blog post, we will explain what Wonging is in blackjack, what Wong Out means, and whether the Wonging strategy works.
What Is Wonging In Blackjack?
Wonging is a form of card counting strategy that involves observing the card dealing at a blackjack table to join the game when the remaining cards may favour the player slightly better.
It was invented by a renowned blackjack author and expert, Stanford Wong (real name Jack Ferguson). However, some accounts of this game’s origin suggest it was around long before Mr Wong, he only popularised it.
When players are utilising the Wonging strategy, they are not actively participating in the game but rather watching until such time that they think it may be optimal to play because the “remaining” cards to be dealt are the favourable cards. That is why it is sometimes referred to as back-counting.
What Does It Mean To Wong Out In Blackjack?
So, Wonging in blackjack means joining the table when you think the odds are in your favour based on the back card counting you did.
Once the odds are no longer favourable, Wongers (players using the Wonging strategy) would leave the game and scout from the outside again or go to a different table. That is called Wonging Out.
The idea behind the Wonging strategy is only to try and join a game when the odds may be in your favour. So, once that is no longer the case, leaving the table is also an essential part of the strategy. That is typically known as “avoiding negative count.”
In addition to preventing negative or low counts, players believe Wonging Out may help reduce the house edge, increase their chances of potentially winning and help them stay within the expected payout potential. It may also prevent the Wongers from being detected by the casino. Remember that Wonging is a type of card-counting strategy that is frowned upon by casinos.
Basically, you cannot play the Wonging strategy without Wonging Out at some point because this strategy’s sole purpose is to try and maximise your chances of receiving a payout. Once that chance is significantly diminished, the player usually leaves or, rather, Wongs Out.
Does The Wonging Strategy Still Work?
Wonging may have been a decent strategy in the past if a player was well-versed in card counting. Card counting requires unparalleled attention to detail and a sharp memory. Plus, the deck was typically shuffled by hand, and the shuffling typically happened less frequently, potentially making it easier to keep track of the cards.
Therefore, if you could accurately count the cards and keep track of the shoe and shuffling while successfully avoiding being detected by the casino, you had a better chance of successfully applying the Wonging strategy.
However, in recent years, casinos have gotten more vigilant and tech-savvy, applying Random Number Generators (RNG) and automatic shuffling machines, making it harder for players to keep track of the cards. Most casinos also forbid mid-shoe entries, meaning you cannot join a table until the deck has been depleted and the shoe refilled again, which makes it nearly impossible to employ this strategy effectively.
Barring all that, casinos nowadays have securities that help detect suspicious behaviour, such as watching tables from a distance and then trying to join said table later on.
This strategy is impossible to use in online casinos since everything is automated, and the card shuffling is typically done after each hand. Online blackjack also tends to use multiple card decks and may prohibit mid-shoe entry. All these factors greatly diminish the effectiveness of this strategy.
No Mid Shoe Entry: Protection Against Wonging
If you are a skilled card counter, there is a possibility you could outdo blackjack's house edge. As a result, card counting is forbidden in casinos as it could offer an unfair advantage over other players and the casino. It is, therefore, a forbidden way of playing blackjack.
Casinos have implemented measures such as acute surveillance and monitoring players' behaviour to try and combat card counting. But, there is a possibility that players can evade these measures, especially in land-based casinos. Therefore, casinos had to introduce the no mid-shoe entry policy.
Since the primary purpose of this strategy is to watch from the sidelines and join mid-shoe, the best way to prevent it was by preventing mid-shoe entries. Therefore, Wongers can't exploit positive counts by entering in the middle of a shoe.
Last Word
Blackjack is one of the most interesting and entertaining casino games. It also has the potential to award big payouts. As a result, players tend to try and find ways to minimise and, sometimes, eliminate the house edge to increase their chances of winning.
However, it is impossible to eliminate the house edge in blackjack. All the methods that may promise to do so are prohibited as they give their users an unfair advantage over other players. Therefore, to avoid facing harsh consequences from casinos, it may be wiser to avoid card counting strategies, including Wonging.
While this strategy is not illegal in the UK, it is not welcomed in both land-based and online casinos, even if it is unlikely to be successful. Instead, you may want to learn about blackjack’s basic strategy, which explains how to play blackjack, what to do with which cards and in what situation.
To practise your basic blackjack strategy and polish your skills with these games, you can play both automated and live blackjack games at Wizard Slots. If you are not a member, simply click the Join button to create an account.
