Part I: Games & Gaming · Card Games — Baccarat & Blackjack

Shoe

Blackjack

A device that holds multiple decks of cards (typically 4, 6, or 8 decks) and allows the dealer to slide cards out one at a time. Shoes speed up gameplay by eliminating hand-dealing and reduce opportunities for dealer sleight-of-hand. Most modern blackjack is dealt from a shoe rather than by hand (pitch).

In practice

Single-deck and double-deck games are typically “pitch” games (dealt by hand from the dealer’s hand). Shoes are standard for games using four or more decks.

One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary — 1,157 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.