To the veterans, this may sound like a stupid question. How do you back count without looking obvious? Even with contact lenses or glasses, my vision isn't the greatest. I can see well enough to count fine at the table; I could probably count fine standing directly behind the players at the table, but that would be pretty obvious. Any further away and I can't trust my ability to correctly count.
Back counting
- Thread starter JJP
- Start date
The key point is crowd conditions. If it is very slow and you are moving around and standing behind the tables will stand out way too much. On the other hand, if it is way too crowded you might not find enough tables with empty seats to be worth trying. Just the right conditions are when there are enough empty seats on multiple tables and some of the people playing have nosey onlookers behind them possibly a friend or friends. Then you can blend in, it is something that just presents itself where you cannot plan on doing.
You should get your eyes checked to make sure you're vision's at 20/20. First step is to make sure you have 20/20 vision first. After that, yeah, wonging can be awkward, I can relate. I remember one time I was trying to wong and was just standing behind the table for seemingly forever and it feels very out of place as the person doing it, in a six deck shoe you can end up standing there without ever even playing!
Here are a few ideas, some of them I got from this forum, if not all of them:
1)Stand behind the table, do some back counting, and after the first few rounds decide if you want to play or not, if not then move on to another table.
2) Sit at the table and start chatting up the dealer, hey how are you? I have been getting killed tonight so i'm taking a little break. I have been here for 3 hours and I have just been getting killed or conversely you can say "I have only been here 10 minutes and I'm already losing" or something along those lines, just don't lie because they might find out then that puts you in an awkward spot. Remember just to talk about something, the food, beer, hotel, ask the other players how they're doing, etc.
3)Buy in and play as normal but sit out a few hands periodically to "change the flow of the cards" or some bull like that.
There are sooo many other approaches that I'm not thinking of right now so there's plenty to add but I hope this short list helped.
Here are a few ideas, some of them I got from this forum, if not all of them:
1)Stand behind the table, do some back counting, and after the first few rounds decide if you want to play or not, if not then move on to another table.
2) Sit at the table and start chatting up the dealer, hey how are you? I have been getting killed tonight so i'm taking a little break. I have been here for 3 hours and I have just been getting killed or conversely you can say "I have only been here 10 minutes and I'm already losing" or something along those lines, just don't lie because they might find out then that puts you in an awkward spot. Remember just to talk about something, the food, beer, hotel, ask the other players how they're doing, etc.
3)Buy in and play as normal but sit out a few hands periodically to "change the flow of the cards" or some bull like that.
There are sooo many other approaches that I'm not thinking of right now so there's plenty to add but I hope this short list helped.
Counting is obvious as well, why are you seemingly not worried about that too?
The reason you think backcounting looks obvious is because youre overthinking the situation and telling yourself that it is. It's only obvious if you keep telling yourself that it is. Just play short sessions and go out the door. With that being said, here's some tips.
Look up at the TV from time to time while standing behind the table. If there's no tv, you should not be using direct body language confronting the table with your toes and torso facing it. The key is to backcount while having your body sideways to the table as if to say your attention is somewhere else. When pit bosses look at you they see you're not worried about that particular table and your attention is somewhere else. Thats the key, show that you dont care about that table and you can do that by how youre presenting yourself while backcounting. Jump in at +1 as well to limit your standing. If count goes back to 0 or -1 just remain seated and say you dont want to mess up the flow of the cards.
Even better order a cocktail drink, face the table sideways and take sips. Combine all of this short sessions and you should last a very long time. Just make sure if you have a big win to not come back on that shift for a week or so because they will potentially do a tape review on that table and figure out what you were doing
The reason you think backcounting looks obvious is because youre overthinking the situation and telling yourself that it is. It's only obvious if you keep telling yourself that it is. Just play short sessions and go out the door. With that being said, here's some tips.
Look up at the TV from time to time while standing behind the table. If there's no tv, you should not be using direct body language confronting the table with your toes and torso facing it. The key is to backcount while having your body sideways to the table as if to say your attention is somewhere else. When pit bosses look at you they see you're not worried about that particular table and your attention is somewhere else. Thats the key, show that you dont care about that table and you can do that by how youre presenting yourself while backcounting. Jump in at +1 as well to limit your standing. If count goes back to 0 or -1 just remain seated and say you dont want to mess up the flow of the cards.
Even better order a cocktail drink, face the table sideways and take sips. Combine all of this short sessions and you should last a very long time. Just make sure if you have a big win to not come back on that shift for a week or so because they will potentially do a tape review on that table and figure out what you were doing
Wonging out has been easy. For wonging in, there's also the factor that some tables forbid mid-shoe entry.
I like the TV idea mentioned earlier. I've used sporting events on TV as an excuse to wong out. Most places I play have TV screens all over with sporting events being shown. I also have not done any scouting for sloppy dealers, so casually back counting would be a way to try to kill two birds with one stone.
I like the TV idea mentioned earlier. I've used sporting events on TV as an excuse to wong out. Most places I play have TV screens all over with sporting events being shown. I also have not done any scouting for sloppy dealers, so casually back counting would be a way to try to kill two birds with one stone.