While we all know, deep in our hearts, that the house always wins there’s always the hope that we’ll find the technique that will turn us into winners. Maybe it’s card counting, which requires both the mathematical knowhow of a savant and the subtlety of a master thief, or you have the hawk-like vision to manage to indulge in a spot of edge sort. But wait, you might ask, what is edge sorting? This is an interesting technique that has one take advantage of flaws that might be found in the decks used to play casino games, and we’re going to tell you all about it right here.
What is Edge Sorting?
First things first - what is edge sorting? Edge sorting is a system that allows a player to know which cards are high or low in value when facing down. To do so the player needs to first notice if the cards have some kind of manufacturing flaw or defect on the back. These flaws are typically found around the edges and tend to be very subtle. However these irregularities can be more noticeable if the cards are rotated by half a turn (180°), as this makes it easier to notice that the back pattern is not symmetrical with that of a card held upright.
A lot of card decks have such manufacturing flaws, and as such noticing them does not constitute cheating. However, we did mention how it’s easier to notice the flaws if the cards are turned, and this requires unintentional collaboration with a dealer. For this to work the player might ask the dealer to indulge them in a superstition and rotate the high-value face up cards. If the dealer does this then the high-value cards will remain rotated unless they are “washed,” or shuffled in a way that rotates them. For this purpose automatic shuffling machines prove useful, as they don’t rotate the cards in any way. With these components in place the game can be played with edge sorting in mind!
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How Edge Sorting Works in Baccarat
With the idea of edge sorting in mind, we’ll now turn our attention to how it’s applied in baccarat. Turns out that this most classic of casino games is actually really suited for edge sorting. How so? First off, cards in baccarat have typically low values, with just the 8s and 9s being the most valuable high cards. Getting one of these “natural” cards can be enough to win a match, so managing to spot them can bring one an instant edge in the game.
Next up is the fact that baccarat involves minimal card handling on the player’s part. A dealer takes care of all, well, dealing, and players receive their cards face down. This way the observant edge sorter can quickly notice the aforementioned flaws on the back of the cards, especially once the high cards have been rotated. Finally, while baccarat is played with a shoe of 6 or 8 decks once enough rounds take place all high value cards will be rotated, leading to more efficient edge sorting.
Is Edge Sorting Illegal?
Is Edge Sorting Illegal
We now have a good idea as to what edge sorting involves, but so here’s another question - is it legal to use it in a casino? After all, you’re not technically doing anything to the cards themselves, and while the dealers can (and often will) refuse to rotate the cards, they do know that gamblers have odd little superstitions and as such might oblige. As such, some professional gamblers insist that edge sorting is not cheating, and instead is simply an example of smart play that takes advantage of the way cards are manufactured.
That said, casinos obviously have a much harsher view of edge sorting, and as a rule the law agrees with them. One famous case involving the subject of this article, baccarat, comes from 2012. Professional gambler Phil Ivey employed edge sorting in a series of high stakes baccarat games at the Borgata Casino & Spa in New Jersey, winning himself a neat $9.6 million. After that he headed to London, where over the course of four days he won nearly £7.7 million from Crockfords Casino.
The Borgata sued Ivey, and in 2016 the Federal Judge ordered Ivey to repay the $10 million. The judge stated that while Ivey did not mark the cards, the use of their imperfections was enough to count as a breach of contract with the casino due to his gaining an illegal advantage in the game.
The case with London’s Crockfords went differently. The casino refused to hand Ivey his winnings, instead giving him back his £1 million stake. Ivey sued, but the court case revealed how Ivey used edge sorting by having the dealer use a specific brand of playing cards with a distinctive pattern on the back, as well as rotate the valuable 7, 8 and 9 cards. In addition he asked the dealer to shuffle with the machine and to keep on using the same decks once the shoe was complete.
The court concluded that Ivey used the dealer as an “innocent agent,” gaining himself an illegal advantage. Ivey appealed the judgement at the UK supreme court, but was unsuccessful as all five justices dismissed the case on the basis that while a player may cheat “without dishonesty or intention to deceive: depending on the circumstances it may be enough that he simply interferes with the process of the game”.
Edge Sorting: A Technique of the Past?
So, should you start using edge sorting when playing at your favourite baccarat sites? We’ll be honest and say that this is a technique of the past, or at least land-based casinos who aren’t too careful. Live dealer games at online casinos do not let players make such requests, while virtual online versions of the game do not allow for edge sorting or anything of the sort. Still, it makes for an interesting technique that adds an interesting layer to an already fascinating game, one that we always recommend to enjoy responsibly at reputable casino sites.
