In blackjack, a cut card is the dealing marker described here. Outside blackjack, a "cut card" can be a different device used to prevent seeing the bottom card in other card games.
Casino & Table Games
Blackjack cut card
A blackjack cut card is a brightly coloured blank plastic card that the dealer places inside the shoe to show where the deck ends and a shuffle must happen.
Key points
- The dealer inserts the cut card during shoe preparation; when reached, it signals the current game is the last before a new shuffle.1
- A cut card is not a strategy aid — it is a dealing marker, unlike a blackjack strategy card or basic strategy card.12
Where this term is used
Not the same as
- Blackjack strategy card — a player reference card for strategy, not a dealing marker in the shoe
Related terms
Casino games
Blackjack
The card game in which the cut card is used to mark the end of a shoe.
Casino games
Insurance blackjack
A side bet in blackjack, unrelated to the cut card.
Casino games
Blackjack rules card values
Covers the values of cards in blackjack, not the cut card.
Casino games
Worst cards to split in blackjack
Strategy advice on splitting, separate from the cut card's function.
Casino games
Basic strategy blackjack
A printed guide for player decisions, distinct from the cut card.
Casino games
Blackjack rules dealer
Rules governing the dealer's actions, not the cut card.
Sources
- Shoe (cards) - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Defines the cut card and explains its placement and purpose in blackjack shoe play.
- Blackjack - Basic Strategy (General) wizardofodds.com Distinguishes the cut card from a basic strategy card.
Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.