Edge Sorting at the Casino: Is It Legal?
Introduction: Edge Sorting at the Casino
What on earth is “edge sorting” you all may well ask? Well, until around 2010, no one had a clue. But a certain famous gambler called Phil Ivey gave everyone a complete education on this technique by winning over $21 million through edge sorting. Though we should point out that, yes he did use edge-sorting, but it was also his status as a high rolling gambler with a massive bankroll which was a help to secure those wins. First things first, let’s have a look and see exactly what edge sorting is.
How Does Edge Sorting Work?
At the risk of sounding either retarded or incredibly childish, edge sorting is simply determining the face down values of cards by looking at their backs. The general idea is to see how the actual card design is slightly different for different value cards. Now, we know this sounds silly, because all designs on the backs of cards are the same throughout the pack, right? Well, you’d actually be wrong. On many packs, there are very, very subtle differences in the card back designs. And if you know what they are, then you can certainly exploit them.
If you look closely at the backs of cards from the same decks, on the face of it, they do all look the same. So the back of a King looks the same as the back of a two. But if you look very closely, you might be able to pick out a subtle difference that runs down the two longer edges of the cards. For example, high cards can have a half diamond on one long edge. While a low card might feature a full diamond on the same spot. During the course of play, these differences are very difficult to see. But, if the cards are rotated correctly, then these differences become all the more apparent.
High Rollers Can Be More Pushy
Now, if you’re a casino high roller, a whale with a massive bankroll, then you can always ask the casino for favors….including having the cards rotated for you in a specific manner. You would just probably say that you’re superstitious or some bull like that. Keep in mind that with a hand dealer, the cards are going to be dealt with the edges all over the shop. This would make this technique pretty much impossible to make work. But a table with an automatic dealing machine will always present the cards with the same edges visible.
As an edge sorter, you’ll need to have a good knowledge of all the different card brands. You’ll need to know which ones have a flaw and exactly how this flaw works to your advantage. You will be an expert at recognizing the different card brands as used by different casinos. Providing that you know the irregularities of the pack, then you can take advantage.
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Edge Sorting at the Casino: Phil Ivey Beat Casinos for $21 Million
Back in 2012, poker professional Phil Ivey beat both the Borgata and Crockford’s casinos to the collective tune of $21.6 million whilst playing baccarat. Before playing he asked for and received a number of gameplay requests. With his status as a high roller, the casinos agreed to allow the following:
A Mandarin Chinese-speaking dealer
Certain cards rotated at 180 degrees for superstitious reasons
A purple Gemaco-designed deck
It should point out that all these requests were made under the guise of being for superstitious purposes. Ivey had a partner in crime, a certain Mandarin-speaking Cheung Yin “Kelly” Sun. Their request for a Mandarin-speaking dealer was so that no one else would understand their commands. Previously, Sun had studied the Gemaco Card deck until he knew them inside out. Then they looked for the best casinos to win the jackpot. They had the dealer rotate the cards so that they could see the flaws more clearly. It was using these special privileges that allowed Ivey to win big time. He ended up taking the Borgata for $12 million. And then Crockfords (of London) for $9.6 million. But they never got to keep the money.
Crockfords Never Paid out
Crockfords were unsure of exactly what went down. So they cleverly came up with the excuse that they would pay Ivey out in a few days. They were claiming that the bank holiday made it difficult for them to get hold of the cash. The casino promised to send the money to his account in Las Vegas. But when the time came, they never made the payment. So in 2015, Ivey sued the casino for his winnings. Unfortunately, a high court in London sided with the casino, saying that, to all intents and purposes, Ivey had cheated. But his original stake of $1 million was returned to him.
Seeing that Crockford’s were successful, the Bogata followed suit and also sued the advantage player. This time, the case was to prove an interesting one. Originally, the court rules against the duo in 2016. Saying that they had in effect been using “marked cards” in that they understood the design on the backside could be used to their own advantage. But Ivey said that they were using “advantage play”, which is perfectly legal. Things became surreal as Bogata had to say that, yes, they were using marked cards and that the sorting machine was enabling their use. Yeah…they were essentially taking a dump on their own practices. Finally, in July 2020, there was a settlement. Though no one’s allowed to make a public statement, it’s thought that the Bogata let Ivey keep the money, as the bad publicity was hurting its brand.
The Case for Anybody Being Able to Edge Sort
Though Ivey belongs to a class of gamblers with a seemingly bottomless pit of wealth, edge sorting is open to anyone. There is any number of card decks that are exploitable. If you look closely the next time you’re at the casino, you’ll probably see some differences on the backs of the cards even from the same deck. Spend some time studying these cards until you can spot their flaws with relative ease. And then use this information you help you in your quest for a profit. Keep in mind, that though the above story revolves around the table game of baccarat, there are other casino games which are also vulnerable to this type of advantage play.
Borgata Gemaco Style Purple Playing Card
The games for edge sorting need to have the cards placed face down at some point. So, you could use this method with Caribbean Stud Poker, Let It Ride Poker, Three Card Poker, Jackpot Poker, and, of course, the old stable of Texas hold’em. All these games feature hole cards. Now, we all know that you’re not supposed to know the value of the dealer’s hole cards until he flips them over. This is the very information that’s incomplete, thus allowing the house a better chance of winning. But if you could edge sort before his turn, then there’s surely an advantage to be had.
Ivey was dropping bets of $100,000 around. You certainly don’t have to do that to be a high roller. Most casinos will let you make a special request with a five-figure bankroll. Yes, we know that this isn’t exactly a small change for the average punter. So it may be better if you can get a team together and all add something into the playing pot to make up the bankroll to a more suitable figure. You might also find that it’s not even necessary to ask the dealer for any special favors. Maybe the cards are falling perfectly for you. The automatic shuffling machine is doing a good job from your perspective.
Edge Sorting at the Casino: Roadblocks That the Average Gambler Faces
So, we now know that edge sorting isn’t the easiest thing to pull off well. In fact, you’ll be needing some external factors to fall into line for you. So it’s not like card counting in blackjack, where you can simply sit down at the games table and start your count. With edge sorting, you’ll need to check both the backs of the cards and the automatic shuffling machine. Another point is that you shouldn’t assume that the casino will grant any of your requests. No matter how you dress them up. Since the debacle with Ivey, all casinos are now more aware of edge sorters. Casinos today are less likely to take the chance of suing to get their money back. It is far easier to simply ban edge sorting whenever they come across it.
If you’re reading this, then the chances are that you’re not the type of gambler who has a big enough bankroll to move the goal post to your advantage. Also, even if you could, it takes some serious skills to consistently win by just looking at the backs of the cards.
Should You Bother With Edge Sorting?
The six million dollar question! The thing is, that it’s not enough to be able to spot the flaws on the backs of the cards as they’re dealt out. You need the skills to understand the relevance of knowing what’s under a face-down card. In other words, how do I put that knowledge to good use in the small amount of time I have to make a decision. That’s why you’ll need to know all your game’s strategies inside out. But before we even get to this point, you’ll need to study all the cards decks in order to be sure of their flaws. And that’s because any mistakes are going to end up costing you money.
Furthermore, you’ll need to be sure that all the right conditions are in place. Then you’ll need to find a table with an automatic shuffler and exploitable decks of cards. Finally, you can still lose if Lady Luck fails to smile benevolently upon your shady ass. Having said that, Ivey claimed that edge sorting in baccarat upped the odds from a mere 1% to 16%. That’s a massive advantage.
Conclusion: Edge Sorting at the Casino
Phil Ivey is really responsible for the introduction and fame that edge sorting bought to more casino games. But because he’s a famous baller, it gave the practice the aura that it’s solely the reserve of high rollers. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a perfectly legitimate means by which to play and falls squarely into “advantage-play” territory. So, if you want to give it a go, then go ahead and knock yourself out. Let us know how it all works out for you.
