What is Edge Sorting? – Understanding What it is & How it Works Online

If you’ve found yourself wondering “what is edge sorting?” then you’re in the right place. Edge sorting is an advantage-play technique, most commonly used in baccarat, that lets players identify whether a card is high or low before it’s revealed by spotting tiny manufacturing imperfections on the card backs. In this guide, we explain what edge sorting in baccarat is, how it works, which other games it can apply to, whether it’s considered cheating or illegal, and we briefly explore the most famous edge-sorting case involving a world famous multimillionaire professional poker player.

What is Edge Sorting and is it Considered Cheating?

Edge sorting cards is an advantage-play technique that involves identifying tiny manufacturing flaws on the backs of cards, such as slightly uneven edges or non-symmetrical patterns, to gain information about a card before its face is revealed and thus gain an advantage. It’s typically used and most effective in baccarat but can be applied to other casino card games. To use this method successfully, a player needs a defective deck, exceptional attention to detail, the right game conditions, and the ability to persuade the dealer to rotate certain cards under the guise of superstition or preference. Once the high and low cards face different directions, the player can “read” the edges and make better betting decisions.

Understanding How Edge Sorting Cards Works

The first step in exploiting edge sorting is finding a casino that’s using a defective deck, something rare but not impossible. High rollers can sometimes even request a specific deck, although this can raise red flags with casino staff. Once you locate a casino using a suitable deck, you can begin applying the strategy to the right game, with Punto Banco Baccarat being the most effective because knowing whether a card is high or low gives you a major statistical advantage. During play, you need to ask the dealer to rotate certain value cards. Although this may sound suspicious in other games, casinos are very accustomed to unusual card-handling requests in baccarat because the game is steeped in superstition. Players often ask dealers to turn cards for “luck,” blow on them, squeeze them slowly, or position them in a particular way, and casinos routinely indulge these rituals, especially for high rollers. If the dealer agrees, all the high cards begin facing one direction and all the low cards the opposite way. This allows you to identify whether a card is high or low before it’s revealed, thanks to the tiny manufacturing defects along the edges. For the technique to work, the baccarat casino must use an automatic shuffler, which is another reason baccarat is ideal: many casinos use continuous or automatic shuffling machines for high-stakes tables. Manual shuffling may flip cards and ruin the orientation, destroying the advantage. But with a stable orientation and visible edge flaws, the player can place bets with inside knowledge of which side is more likely to win.

Edge Sorting Example

One of the first things to take note of when trying to answer the question “what is edge sorting?” is that the core lies in spotting tiny manufacturing defects on the backs of cards. These flaws usually fall into one of two categories, and the first involves faded or uneven borders as you’ll see in our edge sorting example below. Some card decks have a thin printed border around the back design, and if that border isn’t perfectly symmetrical, perhaps the left side is slightly thicker than the right, or the top is subtly wider than the bottom, that becomes a key indicator. If you’re into sports cards or TCGs, you may already recognize this issue, as grading companies like PSA would mark those cards down for having off-center borders. But in edge sorting, these imperfections are exactly what you want, because they let you identify certain cards before they’re revealed. Cards without borders can still create opportunities for edge sorting because the patterns printed on the back aren’t always perfectly aligned. Even without a frame or border, the design may meet the edge of the card differently on each side. For example, as shown in the image below, one edge might display a full diamond shape, while the opposite edge only shows half a diamond before the pattern cuts off. These subtle inconsistencies are exactly what skilled edge sorters look for. Once you’ve identified the defect it’s then all about orientating the important cards in a game. So far example if edge sorting in baccarat you want to flip the high cards 6, 7, 8, 9 as these are the strongest cards. If you know that the first card dealt is one of these high cards you’d bet on the player hand whereas if it’s a low card you would bet on the banker to win. While this doesn;t guarantee you a win each time your chances of winning are increased by over 6% and now you have the edge over the house.

Does Edge Sorting Work in Poker?

In standard player-vs-player both in person and online poker, edge sorting is essentially useless. The deck is thoroughly shuffled before each hand, cards are constantly mixed, and players handle their own cards, meaning you rarely see consistent card backs or orientations. Community cards are dealt face-up, often with burn cards, further eliminating any pattern advantage. As a result, there’s no meaningful edge you can gain from edge sorting in poker. However, when it comes to casino poker variations, edge sorting is technically possible, though not that practical. Games like Casino War, Three Card Poker, and Pai Gow could, in theory, allow edge sorting since they often use automatic shufflers. The problem is that dealers in poker-style games are much less likely to honor requests to rotate cards, and casinos frequently switch decks,sometimes every 30 to 60 minutes. As a result, even if you manage to gain a brief advantage, it will disappear quickly, making edge sorting far less effective than in baccarat.

Using Edge Sorting in Baccarat & Other Online Games

Now you know what edge sorting is. If you are hoping to try it online from the comfort of your own home you are out of luck. You can’t implement this strategy at online casinos, as it only works in-person. In RNG games the decks are obviously digital and there are no defects on the backs. While the top online live casinos offer several live versions of games where edge sorting is possible, online live versions use uniform-backed cards and even if there were defects the camera’s quality isn’t usually good enough to spot the absolutely minute details required for edge sorting, and online casinos tend to ignore or refuse to change orientations of cards.

Edge Sorting vs Card Counting

Edge sorting and card counting are both forms of advantage play that skilled gamblers use to gain an edge over the house. However, the two techniques differ significantly in how they work, how effective they are, and how casinos and courts view them. As already stated edge sorting involves identifying tiny manufacturing imperfections on the backs of cards to determine whether a card is likely high or low before it’s revealed. Learning how to count cards, by contrast, is a mental strategy that tracks the flow of high and low cards to estimate the ratio of valuable cards remaining in the shoe. Although edge sorting in blackjack is possible, it is overwhelmingly associated with baccarat, where it has historically been most effective. Card counting works the opposite way: it is highly effective in blackjack but essentially useless in baccarat, where the fixed drawing rules prevent card composition from creating a meaningful advantage. A major distinction between the two is how they are classified. Card counting is not considered cheating. While casinos dislike it and may back players off or ban them, they are still required to pay any winnings already earned. Edge sorting, however, is widely viewed as cheating or at least as gaining an unfair advantage through manipulation, and casinos may legally refuse to pay out winnings, as seen in the famous Phil Ivey edge sorting case in 2012.

How Phil Ivey Used Edge Sorting in 2012

Phil Ivey, a legendary poker professional with 11 World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, visited Crockfords Casino in London with a playing partner to play Punto Banco (a form of baccarat). They made several requests that appeared to be harmless superstitions. They requested a specific brand of cards, asked the dealer to rotate certain high-value cards, and insisted on using an automatic shuffler to maintain the card orientation. They also asked that the casino not switch decks mid-shoe, again claiming it was “for luck.” Because baccarat players are well known for superstitious behavior, Crockfords agreed to the requests without suspecting that the pair were setting up an edge sorting opportunity. These steps enabled Ivey to identify high and low cards based on subtle printing imperfections, resulting in winnings of nearly $11 million. When Crockfords refused to pay, the dispute went to court, and the UK High Court later ruled that Ivey’s method, while not illegal, did constitute cheating under civil law, and the casino did not have to pay. Ivey attempted a similar strategy at the Borgata in Atlantic City and won $9.6 million. Borgata initially paid out but later sued him, and the U.S. federal court judgment ruled in the casino’s favor. Ivey was ultimately ordered to return the winnings, marking his second major legal defeat arising from edge sorting.

Is Edge Sorting Illegal?

No, edge sorting is not illegal, and you cannot face criminal charges for using it. You won’t be arrested because you’re not tampering with cards, using secret devices, or breaking any gambling laws. You’re simply exploiting tiny manufacturing defects on the cards, which is why it’s considered a form of advantage play, similar to card counting. However, casinos are fully within their rights to stop you from playing and ban you from the property if they suspect you’re doing it, as it violates their house rules. Courts have also ruled that edge counting is a form of cheating in the contractual sense, meaning it breaks the casino’s terms and conditions. Because of this, casinos may be legally allowed to refuse payment of any winnings earned through the technique, even though it isn’t a criminal offense.

What We Have to Say

There’s no doubt that edge sorting cards can give players a significant advantage and, in the right game, make winning almost predictable, and the technique itself is fully legal. However, creating the perfect conditions for edge sorting is extremely difficult. You need to recognize specific manufacturing defects, find a casino using those imperfect decks, and then convince the dealer to orientate the cards without raising suspicion. Even if you manage all of this, if the casino discovers what you’re doing, they can refuse to pay out your winnings and remove you from the table. It’s also completely impossible to perform edge sorting online. If you’re looking for a statistically stronger chance of winning in card games, you’re far better off choosing blackjack and using advanced blackjack strategy or card counting. Card counting may still get you backed off or banned from a casino, but unlike edge sorting, casinos are legally obligated to pay out any winnings you’ve earned with it.

FAQ

Responsible Gambling

Now that you know the answer to “what is edge sorting?”, you may be excited to give it a try the next time you visit your local casino. However, remember that although casino gambling can be exciting, it’s vital to gamble responsibly, even when using a strategy that has worked for many players in the past. If you struggle to stay in control, contact one of the professional support services below for immediate help.