Edge sorting is a technique for telling cards apart by tiny differences in the pattern printed along their back edges, so that certain cards can be recognised before they are turned over. It became famous after a 2012 baccarat session at Crockfords in London, and UK courts ruled that it amounted to cheating. Here is what it means and why it matters.
Edge sorting relies on small flaws in card-back printing to identify cards face down.
In 2012 a player won £7.7 million at punto banco at Crockfords; the casino refused to pay.
The courts sided with the casino, and the UK Supreme Court rejected the final appeal in October 2017.
Online RNG games use no physical cards, so the idea does not apply to them.
Meaning
Identifying cards by back-edge flaws
Best-known case
Crockfords, London, 2012
Game
Punto banco baccarat
Sum withheld
£7.7 million
Final ruling
UK Supreme Court, October 2017
What edge sorting means
Card backs are meant to look identical, but if the printed pattern is cut slightly off-centre, one long edge of a card can look a little different from the other. The technique consists of noticing that difference and getting chosen cards turned so their distinctive edge faces another way from the rest. Once that has happened, those cards can be picked out while still face down.
It is different from card counting, which only tracks cards already shown. Edge sorting identifies cards before they are revealed, and Wikipedia’s Crockfords article (opens in a new tab) describes it as a marking technique for cards.
The Crockfords edge sorting case
Crockfords, the Mayfair casino owned by Genting from 2006 until it closed in October 2023, is where edge sorting became a legal landmark. Our Crockfords history page covers the club itself; the case ran like this:
Edge sorting at Crockfords: timeline
Date
What happened
2012
Poker player Phil Ivey wins £7.7 million over a session of punto banco baccarat. Crockfords refuses to pay, citing edge sorting.
2012 onwards
Ivey admits edge sorting but calls it a legitimate strategy, and sues the casino for the money.
October 2014
The High Court finds for Crockfords, treating the conduct as cheating under civil law.
October 2017
The UK Supreme Court rejects Ivey’s final appeal.
For players, the lesson is that calling a technique a strategy does not make it acceptable. The courts looked at what had been done with the cards, and the casino kept the money.
Why edge sorting came up in baccarat
In punto banco the player makes no decisions after betting. The cards are dealt by fixed rules, and the house edge on each bet is set: Wizard of Odds lists 1.06% on Banker, 1.24% on Player and 14.36% on a Tie paid at 8 to 1. With no choices to make, the only way to change the odds is to know something about the cards before they are dealt, which is exactly what edge sorting tries to do. Our baccarat house edge page sets out every bet.
We explain edge sorting as history and law, not as a method. UK courts treated it as cheating, and casinos can refuse to pay and can bar players they suspect of it.
Edge sorting compared with card counting
Two ideas casinos object to, treated very differently
Card counting
Edge sorting
Information used
Cards already seen
Hidden cards, identified early
Casino involvement
None
Depends on how cards are turned and arranged
UK legal position
Not illegal in Britain, but casinos may ban counters
Treated as cheating in the Crockfords case
Online RNG games
No use: decks reshuffle every round
Not possible: no physical cards
Wikipedia’s card counting article (opens in a new tab) records that counting is not illegal under British law. The Crockfords ruling put edge sorting in a different category.
Does edge sorting matter online?
Not for RNG games. In online baccarat or blackjack played against software, the cards are numbers produced by a random number generator and checked by test houses under Gambling Commission standards. Live dealer tables use real cards, and their shuffling and card handling are set by the studio; our page on whether live casinos use real cards explains more. For players, the practical takeaway is simple: the published house edge is what you are paying.
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Frequently asked questions
What is edge sorting?
It is a way of identifying cards by small differences in the pattern along their back edges, after certain cards have been turned to face a different way from the rest. It lets someone recognise those cards before they are revealed. It came to wide attention after a 2012 baccarat session at Crockfords in London. Our baccarat guide explains the game it was used in.
Is edge sorting illegal in the UK?
UK courts treated edge sorting as cheating in the Crockfords case. The High Court found for the casino in 2014, describing the conduct as cheating under civil law, and the UK Supreme Court rejected the final appeal in October 2017. The result was that the casino did not have to pay the £7.7 million. See our page on the Gambling Act 2005 for the wider legal framework.
How much did Phil Ivey win by edge sorting?
He won £7.7 million playing punto banco at Crockfords in 2012, but the casino refused to pay. Ivey admitted edge sorting and argued it was a legitimate strategy, but he lost in the High Court and then in the UK Supreme Court in October 2017. Our Crockfords history page covers the club behind the case.
Is edge sorting the same as card counting?
No. Card counting keeps track of cards that have already been played, using only what every player can see. Edge sorting identifies cards before they are turned over. Card counting is not illegal in Britain, though casinos may ban counters, while edge sorting was treated as cheating. Our page on card counting in online blackjack explains why counting is useless when decks reshuffle every round.
Can edge sorting work in online casinos?
No, not in RNG games, because there are no physical cards to sort. Each card is generated by software that UK rules require to be acceptably random, and the deck is effectively fresh every hand. The published house edge applies to every hand you play. Our guide to how casino games are tested explains who checks the software and what they look for.
Why do casinos object to edge sorting?
Because it removes the uncertainty the game depends on. Baccarat’s house edge assumes nobody knows the next card; identifying cards in advance overturns that, and the Crockfords ruling confirmed casinos need not pay out on it. Casinos can also refuse service to players they suspect of advantage play. Our page on how casinos make money explains the edge they are protecting.
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