Wong In and Out during a shoe

[Dschddny]

I hear many people say that they Wong In when they see that the count is positive, and then Wong Out (i.e. leave the table) when the count goes negative. When the count goes negative, why not stay for the rest of the shoe (without getting up) and wait for the count to go positive again?

Does anyone do this?

 

[Shaggy18vw]

Most places don't like it when players sit out hands and stay at the table. If you can "act" the part of the superstitious gambler, you may be able to get away with this. Also, by leaving, you may be able to go right to another shoe that just started. This way you are not spending a lot of your time watching shuffles, but playing positive counts.

 

[Victoria]

It depends on several factors.
If the shoe is close to its end, then I will stay for the start of the next shoe, but miss a hand or two.
If the shoe has a ways to go but is negative quite a bit the chances of it going up enough to get a heavy bet out there is less, and not worth playing a bunch of neg EV hands just for that slight chance. So leave, take a break, or go to another pit.
You also have to take into consideration how often you have been wonging in this same casino and the heat or lack of there. You can get away with a ton of wonging in a big place with many different pits In a one or two pit place the critters will notice at some point.
The dealers cards can often give you an excuse to look like a ploppy and wong out. She gets a blackjack or hits 16 and pulls a five, then you in your frustrated ploppy act can sit out a hand or two. I do this at times, and the pit and the other players believe it is to change the mythical flow. Generally done near the end of the shoe.

 

[revereman]

I do often just sit there after the count goes negative and it is a BIG MISTAKE. The reason it is a mistake is that "normal" players don't do it. After a "normal" player loses x number of hands in a row, he angrily scoops up his chips and leaves the table. You really want to act as a "normal" player does and the best way to do that is to observe how they act. I don't often always just sit through a negative count. I do often get up. Don't make excuses when you get up--again normal players don't do that. Just ask them to hold your spot. As any experienced player will tell you--the counting is the easy part, the hard part is being allowed to play. So observe other players and act as they do. But, more often than not, don't play like they do.

 

[Stealth Bomber]

If I'm wonging out a lot I sometimes wong back into the same cold shoe and catch the last hand with a minimum bet as a cover move. Of course, it's a play in the blind move but I do at least assume that the C is most likely still in the cool numbers area while also using a conservative play strategy just to get through it.

 

[Rob McGarvey]

If the casino is not busy you can get away with it to a point. Someone mentioned not watching the shuffle, which is fine if you don't shuffle track. If its a SD or DD joint, just get up and start on a new dealer, but I suggest you watch the shuffle on 6 and 8D, even if you don't understand STing. It's like watching Bruce Lee with his nunchuks. Sooner or later you'll be swinging your own just as fast.

Rob McLee
"fukawwwwwwwwwwww"

 

[Abraham de Moivre]

Other tables nearby?

It is a better use of your time to start backcounting a table that has just shuffled, hoping the count will go positive, than hoping a negative shoe will go positive.

Better wong out and go to the next table, rather than sit at a negative shoe.
Time is money.

 

[revereman]

Excellent point. I didn't cover every scenario in my post. I do the same thing sometimes, come back in at the end of the show with a minimum bet. The main point though is observe how others act and try to act like them. Most players will not sit at a table and not play. Although I have to say that some other players do start sitting out a little after I do when they see everyone getting killed. On the other hand, it is very painful sitting out in a very negative count and the dealer busts hand after hand. More often than not, the players do get killed in the highly negative counts. Of course, there are the times when we all get killed in highly positive counts. Too bad it's not so simple that you win in positive counts and lose in negative counts.

 

[ZOD]

I often find myself sitting out hands to catch a "call", take a restroom break, visit with the lovely cocktail waitress, or even because I've lost a few in a row. Funny how all these things seem to happen during negative counts.
Best...
ZOD

 

[wong out]

I dont have much more to add than what has already been said but somehow I feel an obligation to at least post something on this topic . Two biggest problems with sitting at a shoe waiting for the shuffle are:

-possibly cover and angering other players (minor concern), and

-down time for your business (major problem).

If there are no other tables starting up then sitting around doesnt cost you anything but you are better off from a time management standpoint to get your but up and start backcounting another table. This is not much of a factor of course if you are in the last hand of the shoe.

wong out