Shoe (cards)

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A Dealer shoe holding 4 decks of cards and card cut (red)
A Dealer shoe holding 4 decks of cards and card cut (red)

A dealing shoe or dealer's shoe is a gaming device, mainly used in casinos, to hold multiple decks of playing cards. The shoe allows for more game to be played by reducing the time between shuffles. In some games, such as blackjack (where card counting is a possibility), using multiple decks of cards can increase the house odds.

Dealing shoes come in many colours and sizes, depending on the number of decks they are capable of holding (2-decks, 4-decks, 6-decks, and 8-decks).

When the cards are placed in the shoe, the dealer will insert a blank plastic card, such as the red one seen in the photo on the right. When this card is drawn it indicates that the current game is the last one before a new shuffle.