Talk:Back count

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Back count is part of WikiProject Gambling, an attempt at building a useful gambling resource. If you would like to participate, you can choose to edit the article attached to this page (see Wikipedia:Contributing FAQ for more information).

[edit] References - Blackjack Attack

Blackjack Attack is basically devoted to this topic, and he has tons of specific facts. If anyone has that book, please add some references to specific page numbers. I know that Stanford Wong first invented the idea of back-counting, but I don't know what book it was, and I don't want to put a wrong reference up. Help me get references for this article! GusChiggins21 (talk) 04:40, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

I have a copy of it around here somewhere, but I probably won't be able to add references until tomorrow. Thanks for bringing it up. We do need multiple sources though.
Also, I think the title of this article should be "Back counting" rather than "Back count" though. (It would mirror the structure we're using for most other articles about activities, like Card counting or Gambling. Rray (talk) 22:27, 16 December 2007 (UTC)
Agree GusChiggins21 (talk) 09:51, 17 December 2007 (UTC)
We should also consider merging this content into the main Card counting article. This article is what's called a "content fork". Rray (talk) 22:29, 16 December 2007 (UTC)
It is a content fork in its way, and it would be better to have it on the card counting article. Space is really the only reason to make separate articles focused on different ways to do the same thing, so this could be justified if it was liked to with a "main article" link on the card counting page, but it seems the content here isn't too long to be merged into the existing article. Back counting makes more sense in the context of "normal" card counting, so I'd think merging is better. If it isn't merged though, the card counting article definitely needs to link here in a more clear way to avoid content forking. 2005 (talk) 23:56, 16 December 2007 (UTC)

I could go either way. This could be a very in-depth article, with discussions of the importance of rules, number of decks, penetration, SCORE, betting spread, the total advantage offered by back-counting vs. traditional card counting, changes in risk of ruin, etc. It would be very technical, but very important to anyone interested in card counting. Or, we could leave it like it is and merge it into card-counting. GusChiggins21 (talk) 09:50, 17 December 2007 (UTC)

Since Wikipedia is not meant to be a detailed strategy guide for game players, I don't think a detailed article here would be appropriate. (Encyclopedias are supposed to be for layment, and an article as detailed as you describe would likely only be of interest to people more experienced than laymen.) But I'll hold off on making any changes until some more people have chimed in. Rray (talk) 17:22, 17 December 2007 (UTC)
WP:GAMEGUIDE explains that Wikipedia is not a how to guide or tutorial, so going down that path is wrong, but more detail that isn't how to stuff could be good. My feeling with back counting is it's main watch/wait/pounce essence is fairly simple, so I'd lean toward a simple article, but if a more detailed and well-referenced one could be written which is not a "how to" guide, that would be fine to. 2005 (talk) 00:53, 18 December 2007 (UTC)
Honestly, I think it should just be addressed in the Card counting article. Rray (talk) 02:41, 18 December 2007 (UTC)
At this point that seems the way to go. As always if some section grows enormous for an article it can be broken out, but at this point this article looks like it could be easily integrated into card counting. So far as I'm concerned, go for it. 2005 (talk) 04:11, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Merge with Blackjack

It seems as if there was some discussion before regarding mreging this article with the BJ article. Barring any fresh objections, I will do just that here shortly. Any comments? SmartGuy 16:00, 28 February 2008 (UTC)

A merge with the Card counting article would be appropriate, I think, but not with Blackjack. Rray (talk) 16:40, 28 February 2008 (UTC)
Oops! I meant to propose a merge to Card counting, not BJ. SmartGuy 17:05, 28 February 2008 (UTC)