Gambling terms, explained straight

Casino & Table Games

Cut cards for him meaning

In casino card games, it means asking a player to split the shuffled deck into two parts before dealing, a step that helps randomise the order.

Also called
cut the deck, cut the pack, cut
Applies to
General card games and casino table games where the deck is shuffled and then cut before dealing12
How it works
After shuffling, a player lifts part of the deck and places it aside; the lower packet is then placed on top12

Key points

  • The cut is a standard procedure after shuffling to randomise the deck further before play.1
  • It is common in casino games such as poker and blackjack.13
  • Do not confuse with a cut card, which is a plastic card used to mark the bottom of the deck.3

Not the same as

  • Blackjack cut card — a plastic card inserted into the shoe to mark the cut point, not the act of cutting the deck
Casino games Cut card Covers the physical plastic card used to separate the deck. Casino games Dealer cut cards Describes the dealer's role in cutting the deck. Casino games Blackjack strategy card A reference card showing optimal blackjack plays. Casino games Card shoe A device that holds multiple decks for dealing. Casino games Card dealer shoe Another term for the card shoe used by dealers. Casino games En prison roulette En prison is a French roulette rule for even-money bets where a zero does not settle the wager immediately

Sources

  1. Cut (cards) - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Defines the cut action and its use in card games.
  2. Glossary of card game terms - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Lists 'cut' in the glossary of card game terms.
  3. Glossary of poker terms - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Distinguishes the cut card from the cutting action.

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.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.