Phil Ivey’s Edge-Sorting Case: Baccarat, Procedure and the Court

What happened

The UK Supreme Court’s summary describes Ivey’s use of edge sorting at Crockfords and his claim for winnings. The method involved identifying differences on card backs and arranging procedures that could preserve useful orientation information.

The court upheld the result against Ivey. Its analysis concerned cheating in the circumstances of that game and the legal test at issue. The case does not show that an ordinary player can gain the same information from an online baccarat interface.

What the case teaches

Baccarat’s ordinary probabilities assume that the player cannot identify hidden cards from their backs. If a procedure reveals relevant information before a decision, the information model has changed. But mathematical usefulness and permission to use the procedure are distinct questions. The court dispute sits at that boundary. No individual hand is reconstructed here because the judgment summary is not a complete dealing log.

Does edge sorting mean tracking baccarat streaks?

No. Edge sorting concerns physical card characteristics and orientation. A history board of Banker and Player results does not provide that information.

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