Cut Card & Shoe
The 'shoe' is the box that holds and dispenses multiple decks of cards, and the 'cut card' is a coloured marker inserted to mark where dealing stops before a reshuffle.
Definition
In multi-deck games like blackjack and baccarat, cards are dealt from a shoe holding several shuffled decks. After shuffling, a player or dealer inserts a solid coloured 'cut card' near the back of the stack; when that card is reached during play, the current hand finishes and the shoe is reshuffled. How deep the cut card is placed determines the 'penetration', the proportion of cards dealt before reshuffling. Deeper penetration means more of the shoe is seen before a shuffle, which matters for card counting, so operators often place the cut card to leave a substantial block of undealt cards. The shoe and cut card together are practical tools that also serve as anti-advantage-play and game-integrity measures.
Worked example
A six-deck blackjack shoe is loaded and the cut card is placed about one deck from the back. Play continues until the cut card appears in the shoe; the hand in progress is completed, and then all six decks are reshuffled. Leaving roughly a full deck undealt limits how much information anyone tracking the cards can gain.
Why it matters
For learners, the shoe and cut card explain a visible part of table procedure and why not every card is dealt. For professionals, cut-card placement (penetration) is a deliberate lever balancing game speed, player experience and protection against advantage play.