Star Entertainment Reinstates Alleged Cheaters After Legal Ruling

Posted on: August 15, 2022, 07:32h. 

Last updated on: August 16, 2022, 05:52h.

Erik Gibbs Read More

Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

Star Entertainment recently banned two gamblers accused of cheating. But now, a judge has reversed that decision and ordered the Australian casino operator to lift its ban.

Mark Timothy Grant and Nathan Trent Anderson are no longer on Star’s blacklist, according to reports from ABC News. That doesn’t mean the operator won’t keep its eye on them. But it means it can’t prevent them from visiting its casinos.

Grant, a professional gambler, and his friend became enemies of Star in 2018 over a practice that some argue is simply using the tools available. Grant and Anderson took advantage of “sloppy dealers” and card flaws to gain an edge at the tables.

Players can then determine likely outcomes by recognizing mistakes in the cards (manufacturer defects or imperfections). Playing “Pontoon,” a version of Spanish Blackjack, the pair were able to determine what cards would follow when the dealer dealt them.

In March 2018, Star banned the pair after it determined that they used edge sorting, the same activity that caused poker great Phil Ivey grief a decade ago. Grant and Anderson, as did Ivey, learned to identify flaws in the cards to their advantage.

Sorting Out the Differences

The casino cut them off when Star discovered that the two were winning too much. Star argued that edge sorting violates gaming laws since it involves “dishonest” actions.

Two years later, Grant and Anderson filed a complaint in Queensland for the court to overturn the ban. The grievance finally made its way through the system and found resolution last week.

According to Grant, if the casino staff had been competent, the gamblers would have never had an advantage. In addition, the casino used cards supplied by card manufacturer Angel, which it knew had flaws.

I find that the conduct of Mr. Grant or Mr. Anderson did not involve any form of dishonesty, involving lying, cheating, stealing or fraud by the ordinary meaning of the word, or that they were not honest,” said the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal judge.

While the judge recognized that Grant and Anderson may have employed edge sorting to beat the house, they did nothing illegal. Instead, they made the best of all available information to determine what decisions to make at the gaming tables.

No Tactical Advantage

The objective in Spanish Blackjack is the same as in standard blackjack. However, the game uses six decks of cards (some variations call for four or eight) in a single shoe, with the 10s of all suits removed. The goal is the same, though, to get 21 or as close to it as possible without going over while beating the house. Hitting 21 is an automatic win, regardless of the dealer’s card total.

Australian Pontoon, a localized version of Spanish Blackjack mostly found in Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore, offers a lower house edge. Grant and Anderson were already working with an advantage at the table as soon as they sat down.

Therefore, the gamblers didn’t have a huge advantage over the house. Grant could only make logical assumptions about which cards may follow. That made Star’s argument that the two had cheated more flawed than the cards themselves. As a result, the judge ordered the operator to lift its ban on the gamblers.