Casino & Table Games
Card shoe
A card shoe is a box-shaped device that holds several decks of playing cards and lets the dealer slide out one card at a time.
- Also called
- dealing shoe, dealer's shoe, or simply shoe
- Used in
- blackjack, baccarat, and other casino table games
- Typical blackjack shoe sizes
- 4, 6, or 8 decks
- Typical baccarat shoe sizes
- 6 or 8 decks
Key points
- The dealer draws one card at a time from the shoe, reducing the time between shuffles.1
- Using a shoe helps prevent dealer cheating by limiting card handling.1
- In blackjack, multiple decks in a shoe affect the house edge.3
- Baccarat punto banco is dealt from a shoe containing 6 or 8 decks.2
Common shoe sizes by game
| Game | Decks |
|---|---|
| Blackjack | 4, 6, or 8 |
| Baccarat (punto banco) | 6 or 8 |
How a card shoe works
Cards are placed in the shoe, and the dealer deals from it one card at a time.1 Using a shoe reduces the time between shuffles and helps reduce the chance of dealer cheating.1 In blackjack, the use of multiple decks in a shoe also affects the game's house edge.3
Where this term is used
Related terms
Casino games
Card dealer shoe
A descriptive variant of dealer's shoe, not a distinct technical term.
Casino games
Blackjack strategy card
A reference card showing basic strategy decisions for blackjack.
Casino games
Blackjack shoe
A card shoe used specifically for blackjack.
Casino games
Casino shoe
A broader label for the same device used in casino card games.
Casino games
Blackjack cut card
A plastic card placed in the shoe to indicate when to reshuffle.
Casino games
Blackjack rules card values
The point values assigned to each card in blackjack.
Sources
- Shoe (cards) en.wikipedia.org Supports the definition, how the shoe works, and its role in preventing cheating.
- Baccarat en.wikipedia.org Supports the typical baccarat shoe sizes.
- Casino game en.wikipedia.org Supports the claim that multiple decks affect the house edge in blackjack.
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.