Baccarat Edge Sorting: The Risky Trick Casinos Are Always Watching For

Takes an Astute Eye to Try and Gain the Ultimate Edge

How Poker Star Phil Ivey Was Caught Up in Edge Sorting Scandal

Baccarat edge sorting takes a great deal of focus and patience. It isn’t for everyone because one could fool themselves into thinking they see something when they don’t. However, the so-called experts, when it comes to Baccarat edge sorting, think they are gaining an edge on the house.

Are they? Time to dive into the art or cunning of Baccarat edge sorting.

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What Is Edge Sort in Baccarat?

There is an art to edge sorting in Baccarat. One has to be eagle-eyed to spot it. The belief is that there can be differences on the backs of playing cards. Yes, some players think they can spot minuscule marks or imperfections on cards being used in the game. One has to be incredibly locked in to find them, right?

Instantcasino.com explains that there are several things that have to happen for edge sorting to take place. The cards need to have asymmetrical backs and a cooperative dealer. One can be sure the latter doesn’t happen too frequently. Also, edge sorting is usually associated with high rollers.

Is It Possible to Get an Edge in Baccarat?

The thought is that edge sorting will allow players extra knowledge when it comes to playing Baccarat. Again, Instantcasino suggests that the pattern on higher value cards – eight and above – there could be a slight – repeat slight – difference in the border design of those cards. Imagine how much scrutiny a player has to pay to find these “flaws.” 

The combination of trying to detect flaws while continuing to maintain the pace of play in Baccarat makes it extremely challenging. Also, one has to be extremely discreet so the casino doesn’t catch on to whatever chicanery the player could be trying. 

For example, Baccarat.net suggests many card manufacturers use diamond patterns on the back of cards. The idea would be to see if the diamond pattern on one side of the back of cards is smaller than the other.

Another “trick” would be to ask the dealer to rotate certain cards. By requesting this, the player would try and detect high cards in a different pattern than lower ones. Again, if this sounds like science, the player attempting it has to almost have a scientific or incredible memory or eyesight.

Cards that have been used multiple times can lend toward a player edge and when the person asks the dealer for help by adjusting or rotating the cards the dealer could be aiding the player without recognizing what is going on because of how busy the play is. 

The Phil Ivey Case of Edge Sorts

More than a decade ago, Phil Ivey and  Cheung Yin ‘Kelly’ Sun went on a winning spree. Ivey was a poker legend, and Sun had a knack for detecting imperfections on the back of cards. 

The Phil Ivey Baccarat case wound up becoming an international scandal. The Borgata Punto Banco saw the pair win almost $10 million over four visits. In London, they won almost $12 million. Crockfords refused to pay. Borgata did but sued to recover its losses afterward.

The long and short of it is that this took place through the court systems. Ivey lost the case in London. Somehow, Crockfords claimed it wasn’t aware of edge sorting and came away the legal winner.

Borgata followed, um, suit, and the case went on for six years before a settlement was achieved.

How Do Casinos Detect Edge Sorting in Baccarat?

Casino techniques to figure out if a player is edge sorting by firstly making sure the dealers are sharp and not letting every request a player makes happen. Edge sorting isn’t cheating, per se, but taking advantage of a kindly person doling out the cards is a needed asset.

In the Ivey case, he made a series of requests: 1. a private area for play, 2. a dealer who spoke Mandarin Chinese,

3. a guest to sit with him, 4. one 8-deck shoe of purple Gemaco playing cards for each session, and 5. an automatic card shuffler to be used.

If the casino sees or gets wind of a player making similar requests or something akin to the unusual, it needs to put a stop to the game. It is a technique to make sure the house edge remains. Also, never use the same decks of cards over and over. It’s a recipe for the casino to get scorched.

What Are the Consequences of Using Edge Sorting in Baccarat?

Don’t be surprised if a player who is thought to be edge sorting by a casino is asked to leave. The other issue is that it could lead to a message going out throughout the businesses at other casinos, warning them of the shenanigans. Casinos are in business to make money, and they do not take kindly to players gaining any edge, even if edge sorting technically isn’t illegal.

It seems like the most challenging of edges to try and gain, and a player or players need to be clued into certain tricks they need to make edge sorting work. Don’t think any random player is going to be able to edge sort. That isn’t about to happen. The player would fool themselves or wind up getting busted for coming out of the blue and accomplishing success rates only a few gain. 

That is why it is mostly associated with high rollers, and they have to play it close and quiet if they hope to make it work. Edge sorting is a gamble, but then again, everything in a casino is. And this could lead to significant problems for the person trying to do it.