What is Edge Sorting in Card Games?

If you’ve been playing poker or blackjack, you may have heard someone mention Edge Sorting. But what is it exactly, and is it a good strategy for winning a game of cards?

Edge sorting is the practice of using small imperfections on the back of cards to try to increase your chances of winning. While it isn’t considered as illegal as card counting, it is often frowned on by casinos and may result in a ban. Read on to learn everything you need to know about edge sorting.

What is Edge Sorting?

Edge sorting is most well-known for the advantages it provides in the card game baccarat. That being said, it can be applied to a variety of card games, including poker and blackjack.

Edge sorting is the practice of tracking certain imperfections on the back of certain cards, using them to track when the card may be coming into play. Some players take it a step further by placing their own imperfections on the back of certain cards.

How Does Edge Sorting Work?

Some decks used for edge sorting are printed, by accident, with trackable imperfections—patterns that look normal at first glance, but upon a closer look, they differ. Players memorize which cards these are, giving them an advantage in the game. In other instances, players will cut cards unevenly or press their nail into a card to make a slight dent—anything so they can know when the card is once again on the table or in their hand.

In general, unless a casino is offering up a defective deck of cards, players who wish to edge sort must have previous access to the deck, enough that they can damage a card enough for them to track. Of course, this happens during normal play, with a player marking the card when it is in their hand, even if they don’t win that hand, for the purpose of knowing when that card is on the table again in the next round.

Because edge sorting relies so heavily on special decks of cards, it is less common in casinos, as they do not allow players to bring their own decks. That being said, the type of edge sorting where a player damages a card belonging to a casino that has already been in their hand does happen, and it can end with that player being banned or disallowed from collecting their winnings.

We do want to mention that defective decks of cards do exist, and they are often mixed in with casino decks. This means there is a chance you can find a casino where these cards are being used already and play enough to memorize the cards. However, don’t get too excited, as most high-end casinos regularly check their cards to ensure this isn’t the case, and they change decks frequently (and mix decks) to ensure this doesn’t happen. Some smaller casinos, though, occasionally end up with these decks. There are some individuals who track defective decks starting with the printer, all the way to the casino, to ensure they can participate in edge sorting.

Is Edge Sorting Illegal?

Technically speaking, edge sorting is not illegal. Unlike card counting, just knowing what a card is doesn’t automatically increase your chances of winning (as there is still luck involved with whether or not you will end up with that card). Don’t get too excited, though, because this is a practice banned in most casinos.

It is a gray area, but generally, because most edge sorting is carried out via damage to the cards, casinos will catch on quickly and ban you because you have damaged their property. They will also probably not pay out your winnings.

However, for those lucky enough to track a defective deck, it is possible to edge sort without being caught. It does involve jumping through some other hoops (such as asking the dealer to flip the face cards around, which is never advised as most casinos will immediately become suspicious), but it can be executed without being caught.

Again, you won’t be arrested, but we don’t recommend edge sorting because it can cause more issues than the benefit it brings.

Should You Try Edge Sorting?

We do not recommend attempting to edge sort. There have been many famous players over the years who have done so, most notably Phil Ivey, and none have come out with the money they “won” using the edge sorting technique.

In the case of Phil Ivey, he was never given his winnings, and he was ordered by a court to even pay back previously paid winnings. Of course, Ivey emptied his accounts before the casino where he won (the Borgata) received access to them, but now any assets he has paid are immediately seized as a result of the court order. This happened in 2012, and the last time some of his assets were seized was in 2019, proving there is no statute of limitations when a casino wants its money back.

Of course, as we mentioned above, it isn’t illegal. So, feel free to ask the dealer to rotate cards or try to find somewhere that is playing with defective decks—just know that if you are caught, you may walk away with nothing. Plus, casinos are more aware of edge sorting after Phil Ivey’s case in 2012. So don’t be surprised if your requests to flip cards a certain way are denied and you are booted from the table entirely.

Overall, edge sorting is a gray-area gaming strategy often used when playing card games like baccarat. While it can be successful, it is also a risky strategy because although it isn’t technically illegal, it can result in bans, seizure of assets, and more. We recommend that instead of searching the internet for information on defective decks, you take the time to learn a strategy that is less risky and won’t have you banned from a casino.