Edge Sorting
Edge sorting is an amazing strategy that can be used in several card games to help you take the upper hand against the house. The practice of edge sorting could actually have you knowing if the next card off the shoe was going to be a good one or not. Interested? It’s not a new strategy, but is one that came into the limelight not too long ago. But what exactly is edge sorting, how can we learn this magical trick and are we even allowed to use it at a casino? All your answers lie within, and we may just have that pesky house edge beat for once.
Use Edge Sorting at Our Select Casinos
Licensed & Verified
Professionally Reviewed
- $1600 Welcome Bonus
- Exceptional Promotions
- Loyalty Rewards
+ 200 Bonus spins
- Fast Payments
- Over 2500 Games
- amazing Promotions
+ 275 Bonus spins
- All the latest games
- MGA and UKGC licenses
- Daily bonuses
- Over 1,000 Games
- No Maximum Win
- No Wagering Requirements
+ 250 Bonus spins
- Progressive welcome offer
- Weekly cashbacks
- Daily extra spins
- Easy 1 minute registration
- Good payment methods
- Fast deposits & withdrawals
+ 150 Bonus spins
- Amazing VIP rewards
- Great live experience
- Special 'classic' section
+ 250 Bonus spins
- Play new games first
- Full reward scheme
- Expert's Area & Pro Tips
+ 11 Bonus spins
- Great live section
- The top providers in the industry
- Established, strong brand
+ 260 Bonus spins
- Great welcome package
- Exclusive VIP club
- Unlockable daily deals
+ 100 Bonus spins
- Instant Deposit
- Great range of jackpots
- Instant Withdrawal
- Fast Cashouts
- Large Selection of Games
- Free Spins Tuesdays
- High Roller Bonus
- Refer a Friend Bonuses
- Numerous payment methods
+ 100 Bonus spins
- Popular payment options
- Daily promotions calendar
- Around the clock customer support
+ 50 Bonus spins
- 3000+ games
- Friday reload bonus
- Tournaments
+ 220 Bonus spins
- Premium live casino games
- VIPs Real Money Rewards
- Over 2,000 games in the library
+ 200 Bonus spins
- Duel Against Other Players
- Live Chat Support
- Loyalty Program
+ 200 Bonus spins
- Unique Loyalty Program
- American Theme
- Great Bonus Offer
Turn the Odds in Your Favor with Edge Sorting
There’s no surprises that in this crazy world of gambling, the house will forever win. Many players find it offensive, it angers them but, casinos are businesses like many others. And if a business isn’t profitable, it ceases to be at all. That house edge we hate so much is the profit the casino operates on and without that, no casino. Fine. But maybe it would be nice if there was some way that we could bend the odds back in our favor, some strategy for making winning come just that bit more in our direction? Edge sorting is exactly that, and much more.
What Exactly is Edge Sorting?
Edge sorting is a card strategy that allows players to keep track of specific cards in the deck and to separate them into two distinct categories; good and not so good. When the entire deck has been edge sorted, the player will gain an incredible advantage over the house by being able to accurately predict the value of the next card, before it’s dealt and from the back of the deck.
How is this wizardry possible you may say? It’s actually simpler than you may think but takes a great eye for detail. You see, most decks of cards have a repeating, asymmetrical design on its back, usually consisting of diamonds. These are cut out by machine from huge sheets to form the individual cards and as the machine slices and dices, slight variation occurs in the pattern.
How to Use Edge Sorting
- Take a look at the back of many cards and staring closely at its edge, you may notice that one side finishes with a full diamond, the other with a half. There’s millimetres in it, but it’s exactly those millimetres that great players use to make small fortunes.
- The idea is that by being able to notice that deviation in design, players can turn cards that they find valuable 180 degrees, leaving the less valuable as they are. Then, as the cards are shuffled and come back off the shoe, close inspection will show which cards are coming off the deck with the pattern one way or the other.
- You won’t be able to pick the ace of spades, but you will be able to predict picture cards over spot cards and in some games, that is the advantage that you need to completely remove the house edge.
What Factors Make Edge Sorting Possible?
Unfortunately for us, it’s not quite that simple as casinos are aware of this strategy and many have implemented protocols to abolish this practice. But to make this system work, it’s critical that the following factors are in play or you’re wasting your time:
- The cards must have a repeating design that is not even (asymmetrical).
- An automatic shuffling machine must be in place.
- The same decks of cards are re-used in the shoe.
Because edge sorting is basically stacking the deck in a specific way, you need to be able to ensure that all your work of strategically turning the cards doesn’t get ruined. Traditional shuffling sees half the deck turned to make it easier to mix the cards and that is no good. Also, some casinos have protocols in place that dump out the shoe after each round and new cards taken, which is also ruining all your work.
More Factors
Now, the other big factors that determine your success is that you need to be playing with a transparent shoe holder; if you can’t predetermine the card visually before it’s drawn, you can’t make a bet on its probability. Likewise, you’ll need to be playing a game that actually allows bets to be placed before that next card is shown.
Edge Sorting Poker
Poker is a fantastic game where the tiniest bit of knowledge you can grasp from your fellow players can reap huge rewards. In theory, to know which cards in the deck are face cards, be it for you or in your fellow players hand, would shift the advantage to you greatly. Again, you won’t be able to predict their hand, but you’ll have more of an idea than they.
- The problem is that poker is a game that has high levels of player participation; all players are constantly touching and throwing the cards which can easily upset your carefully planned positioning. Every time cards are thrown in the muck, they can rotate with ease.
- Plus, in poker you are playing against those players; it’s their money you are winning so starting to rotate cards and acting strange around not moving the muck too much will immediately set off alarm bells.
- Edge sorting works best in games that are played against the house. The dealer will have a strict and rehearsed procedure that, if in your favour, will see those cards stay exactly as you want them.
Edge Sorting Blackjack
Again, how much would you like to know which cards in the shoe are picture cards? In theory, yes this will work and would make you money hand over fist. But, like poker, in blackjack there is too many variables involved that could destroy your hard work.
- The most prominent being the fact that in blackjack, you don’t touch the cards. The dealer is the only one that has that privilege and although that individual doesn’t mind if you win or lose, they are trained to notice certain acts of card tampering.
- Requesting that every picture card be turned will not only have security on your back, but will have the dealer pretty annoyed at your constant interruption. Likewise your fellow players at the table.
Edge Sorting Baccarat
Now we are getting somewhere. Without going into the finer details of the game, 6,7,8 and 9 are worth their weight in gold in baccarat. Or more importantly, knowing which cards they are in the shoe. Being able to bet on both the player or banker and knowing how valuable the next card out is, well that is money for jam. So, why am I here writing instead of at the baccarat table?
- As we discussed earlier, a game where there is limited contact by other players is ideal for edge sorting and baccarat is one of those games. The problems creep in though as many baccarat tables have zero contact allowed from players so you will not have the opportunity to position your cards.
- Technically, you never receive your own cards in the game, just two sets of communal cards that everyone can bet on.
When Did Edge Sorting Become a Thing?
In 2012, a famous professional card player by the name of Phil Ivey entered the Crockford’s casino in London and walked away with $12 million of their best. They investigated his play, deemed that he had used edge sorting to win and took offence. The adjourning court case ruled in the favour of the casino and Ivey’s winnings were void. The house wins again.
After this very lengthy and public case, the Borgata casino also remembered Mr. Ivey cleaning up on their baccarat table and re-viewed their footage. Sure enough, edge sorting again and current legal proceedings are in play for that $9.6 million. So, edge sorting is illegal?
The courts ruled in favour of the casino, deeming edge sorting to be against the spirit of the game and therefore any winnings nullified. However, Ivey did not break any laws so was therefore not convicted of any crime. So, no, edge sorting is not illegal.
Edge Sorting = Card Counting?
It’s a little like card counting back in the day, when the Resorts International Hotel sued Ken Uston. Like Ivey, he never denied using a strategy, but firmly backed his right to beat the house using his brain. The difference is that in the card counting case, the courts ruled in favour of the plaintiff. Now, if you get caught counting cards, you can be banned from the private club that is a casino. If you get caught edge sorting, you’ll lose your winnings.
So just how did Ivey make so much you may ask? For starters, he had a partner with him that night, renowned edge sorting pro Cheung Yin Sun who has made millions from multiple casinos over the years. And, he used his fame to gain special favours from the casino, namely;
- He was allowed to re-use the same shoe the following session.
- An automatic shuffling machine was in place.
- His accomplice convinced the dealer that superstition deemed certain cards to have better luck if they were rotated 180 degrees.
Edge Sorting FAQ’s
- Is edge sorting Legal?
Yes, you are legally allowed to use edge sorting poker/blackjack strategies to try and bend the odds. However, the casino is entitled to forfeit your winnings if you are caught as it is deemed an unfair practice. Casinos also have the prerogative to ban players whom they deem to be cheating the house edge. So, don’t get caught.
- Is edge sorting easy to do?
Technically, you just need to have a great eye for detail and access to the cards to position them the way you want. But, with a lot of factors all needing to be in play for this strategy to work, the odds of players making a fortune using this technique are not too high.
- Can edge sorting be used at an online casino?
The key to edge sorting is that direct access to the cards to position them certain ways to gain an advantage. Online casinos do not allow you to have that card contact, therefore, you can not implement this to your advantage. The only way you could benefit is to have a live dealer croupier rotate specific cards for you, but the chances of that not setting off alarm bells is extremely low.
- Can edge sorting help me win?
If you can find a game that has all the factors needed for this strategy to be implemented, then edge sorting can certainly become your advantage. Players have made millions in the past from table games using edge sorting blackjack, poker or baccarat included. Good luck.
- Did Phil Ivey break the law?
Although the courts did find in favour of the casino when Phil Ivey was taken to court for implementing an edge sorting strategy to win $12 million, he was never prosecuted for criminal activity. It set a standard for edge sorting to be a legitimate option for players in the future.