Edge sorting is an advantage play technique that has received a lot of press recently after New Jersey’s Borgata filed a lawsuit against famed poker player Phil Ivey, alleging he used it to win seven-figure sums at baccarat. The technique allows players to identify the values of face-down cards to gain an advantage in games like blackjack, baccarat, and certain forms of casino-banked poker.
This form of advantage play is possible because the cut patterns on the backs of many brands of cards, including those used by casinos, are not entirely symmetrical. Mastering the technique is no picnic. It requires a keen eye and acute observation, along with certain casino-related procedures and conditions.
Although it gained popularity only recently, edge sorting is not a new technique. Skilled, professional gamblers have been using it to gain an advantage for roughly two decades. Let’s examine what the technique is all about, what the requirements are for it to work, and how it applies to blackjack. SuperCasinoSites’ article also tackles the subject of edge sorting and legality and examines whether the method can be used effectively in online blackjack.
The Premise of the Edge Sorting Technique
The design on the backs of playing cards usually consists of ornate patterns that are sometimes surrounded by white borders. Upon a closer examination of the cards’ backs, you may notice the cut patterns are not fully symmetrical. The design of cards often shows irregularities along their top, bottom, right, or left edges.
One card might have full diamond shapes on its right edge, while another’s diamond shapes may be cut in half. Such asymmetries can also be observed in decks whose edges are faded or white. The faded borders of some cards may be wider than those of others.
The technique of edge sorting relies precisely on these asymmetries in the cards’ cut patterns. Edge sorters use such irregularities as guidelines that help them identify the values of certain key cards even when the cards are face down. In turn, this enables them to make smarter betting and playing decisions, gaining an advantage over the house in the process.
While the game is in progress, the advantage player aims to turn the cards so as to identify certain key cards and distinguish them from the rest. For example, suppose an edge sorter spots a right/left asymmetry in the diamond shapes of a key card.
The player would then align the cards in a specific way so that the edges with full diamonds on the right side correspond to key cards, while those with half-cut diamonds on the right edge represent weaker cards. The edge sorter would then try to turn each card in the shoe or deck to identify which group it belongs to, key or weak.
Once the shoe or deck is sorted in this manner, the edge sorter would closely observe the edges when playing a hand. The advantage shifts in favor of the player because now they can determine which of the two groups each card belongs to. Of course, the shoe or deck must remain aligned for the player’s advantage to persist. The order can be maintained at tables that use automatic shufflers as well.
Edge sorting applies to games where the cards are classified in groups based on their value, including Mississippi Stud, baccarat, and of course, blackjack. The technique also calls for some assistance on the part of unwitting dealers.
When placed in the plastic holder at the end of each round, the strong cards must be turned in a direction opposite to that of the weak ones. Because of this, the technique is sometimes referred to as “the turn”.
To accomplish this without arousing suspicion, edge sorters usually ask the dealer nonchalantly to turn the cards in the desired direction and then give a trivial explanation for their request, such as being superstitious.
How to Edge Sort in Blackjack
Players can apply this advanced technique in games where certain cards carry more value than others, which includes almost every card game on the casino floor. Blackjack is no exception.
In blackjack, low cards benefit the dealer, while face cards, aces, and tens favor the player. Therefore, it is highly advantageous for a player to identify high cards from 10 through Ace. To gain an edge over the house, the player must ensure these high cards are turned in one direction and the remaining cards in the opposite direction.
If an edge sorter sees that the next card is high, they will adjust their wager accordingly. If the next card might push them over 21, they will stand, hoping the dealer busts or draws poorly. Conversely, the player can increase their stake when they believe the next card is likely to produce blackjack and a higher payout.
Edge Sorting in Practice
Beware of the Shuffle TurnHow the Technique Aids Blackjack Advantage Players
It is obvious that edge sorting, when executed properly under the right table conditions, can yield a massive edge to advantage players. First and foremost, this technique gives the edge sorter valuable information about the blackjack dealer’s hole card.
Additionally, it helps you learn which card from the top of the shoe will hit the felt next. With the help of edge sorting, the player also gains information about which card will be dealt first during a given round of play.
For example, suppose you are dealt a hard 12 in an S17 game that uses six decks. Those familiar with basic strategy know that it recommends that you stand on hard 12 against a dealer who shows 4, 5, or 6 and hit against all other dealer upcards.
However, if you determine through edge sorting that the next card is not a ten-value one, you will hit all hard totals of 12 because it would be impossible for you to bust on the next hit in this scenario.
Edge sorting can also help players make better-informed decisions about their insurance wagers. When seated in the first-base spot, you can size your initial wager more effectively when you know what card is about to be dealt next.
If you know that the first card is an ace or a face card, you increase your advantage over the casino by an impressive 18%. Accordingly, you will place significantly larger bets under these conditions.
Edge Sorting: A Legal Form of Advantage Play or Cheating?
Many players question the legality of edge sorting, especially after the lawsuit against poker superstar Phil Ivey hit the mainstream media. Some people even compare this technique to card marking.
However, card marking is different from edge sorting because it involves purposefully altering cards to make them easily recognizable when face down. This is usually achieved by bending the cards or leaving noticeable marks on them.
With that in mind, marking is largely impossible in multiple-deck games since players are prohibited from touching their cards in the first place. This is considered a severe breach of etiquette in shoe games. Needless to say, marking cards is considered cheating and, as such, is illegal.
As for edge sorting, players who use this technique take advantage of cards that have already been “marked” by the manufacturers, which is not at all the same as altering them intentionally. The technique obviously requires a good amount of time and skill to master.
Furthermore, a parallel can be drawn between edge sorting and card counting. When the latter first gained popularity, casino operators argued that card counting was illegal. In a 1982 lawsuit as notorious as that against Phil Ivey, blackjack legend Ken Uston sued Atlantic City’s Resorts International, arguing that casinos have no right to bar players for using their skill and brains at the tables.
The New Jersey Supreme Court apparently shared this opinion, as it ruled in favor of Uston. Card counting remains a popular form of advantage play to this day. The practice is frowned upon by pit bosses and casino managers worldwide, but it is not considered illegal.
Nevertheless, casinos continue to wage war against skilled players by barring them, using continuous shufflers, and introducing unfavorable rules. Similar measures have already been adopted to deter edge sorters, such as the shuffle turn mentioned earlier.
Another adequate precaution would be to instruct dealers not to comply with players’ requests to turn cards because of superstitions. Players suspected of using edge sorting face potential bans, although a given casino might also choose to allow them at the tables on condition they flat bet.
Edge Sorting in Online Casinos
As for online blackjack, players who engage in RNG-based games should abandon the idea of using edge sorting altogether. The technique is obviously inapplicable to such games. The best you can do is try to reduce the house edge, at least partially, by using basic strategy.
The same is largely true for the online blackjack games hosted by live dealers in real time. Although these are theoretically susceptible to certain forms of advantage play, live casinos have taken all the necessary precautions to deter card counters and shuffle trackers from exploiting their games.
Where edge sorting is concerned, you need a clear, close view of the backs of the cards to detect any potential irregularities in their cut patterns. As high-definition as the stream in live-dealer games is, detecting such asymmetries borders on the impossible.
Furthermore, an increasing number of live casinos are beginning to introduce continuous shufflers at their tables. These machines are opaque, which makes it impossible to see the cards inside. Moreover, the dealer feeds the discards into the machine after every round or two of play, so the shuffler continually rearranges them, rendering edge sorting and all other forms of advantage play futile.