Section 629a.5. Shuffle and cut of the cards

(a) Immediately prior to commencement of play, unless the cards were preshuffled in accordance with § 603a.16(u) or (v) (relating to cards; receipt, storage, inspection and removal from use), the dealer shall shuffle the cards so that they are randomly intermixed. If the cards have been manually shuffled, the dealer shall leave the entire stack of cards intermixed but not entirely squared off (leave them feathered) so that the floorperson can verify that the shuffle did not result in any uneven distribution of cards.

(b) After the cards have been shuffled, the dealer shall offer the stack of cards, with the backs facing away from the dealer, to the players to be cut. The dealer shall begin with the player seated in the highest number position at the table and, working clockwise around the table, offer the stack to each player until a player accepts the cut. If a player does not accept the cut, the dealer shall cut the cards.

(c) The cards shall be cut by placing a cover card in the stack at least ten cards in from the top or the bottom of the stack.

(d) Once the cover card has been inserted into the stack, the dealer shall take all cards above the cover card and the cover card and place them on the bottom of the stack. The dealer shall then insert the second cover card in a position at least 14 cards above the bottom of the stack. The stack of cards shall then be inserted into the dealing shoe for commencement of play.

(e) After the cards have been cut and before the cards have been placed in the dealing shoe, a floorperson or above may require the cards to be recut if the floorperson or above determines that the cut was performed improperly or in any way that might affect the integrity or fairness of the game. If a recut is required, the cards shall be recut by the next person entitled to cut the cards, as determined by subsection (b). The stack of cards shall then be inserted into the dealing shoe for commencement of play.

(f) Prior to commencement of play, the dealer shall remove and expose the first card from the dealing shoe and place it, and an additional number of cards, drawn face down, equal to the face value of the first card drawn, in the discard bucket. When determining the face value of the first card removed from the dealing shoe, a 10, jack, queen or king shall count as ten and an ace shall count as one.