In cribbage, the protocol for shuffling, cutting, and dealing the cards is part of the game's traditional etiquette and ensures fairness and randomness in play. Here are the general rules and conventions surrounding these processes:
Shuffling
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Before the Deal: The deck is thoroughly shuffled by the dealer before the start of each hand to ensure the cards are randomized. This is a fundamental aspect of the game's fairness.
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Opportunity to Shuffle: The pone (the non-dealing player) has the right to shuffle last. However, the dealer has the right to shuffle the deck last before the cut. This means that after the pone shuffles, the dealer can shuffle the cards again if they choose, but then must offer the deck to the pone for the cut.
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Multiple Rounds: In a multi-hand game, the shuffle responsibility rotates, with the deal passing to the next player (in a two-player game, this means the deal alternates between the players).
Cutting
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After Shuffling: Once the shuffling is complete and before dealing, the dealer presents the deck to the pone to cut. The pone may knock on the deck to indicate they do not wish to cut, effectively trusting the dealer's shuffle.
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The Cut: When cutting, the pone must leave at least four cards in each stack. The dealer then combines the stacks back into a single deck, taking care to place the bottom stack on top of the cut portion. This ensures that the card that will become the "starter" (turned up after the deal) is not known beforehand.
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Starter Card: After the deal is complete, the dealer cuts the remaining deck to reveal the starter card, ensuring it is done without exposing any card but the cut one. If the starter card is a Jack, the dealer immediately scores two points, known as "two for his heels" or "nibs."
Dealing
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Dealing Cards: The dealer distributes the cards one at a time, face down, starting with the pone. In a two-player game, each player receives six cards. In a three- or four-player game, each player receives five cards.
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After the Deal: Once the deal is complete, players select cards to discard to the crib (also known as the box or kitty), which is an extra hand scored by the dealer at the end of the hand.
Special Considerations
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Misdeals: If a player is dealt the wrong number of cards, it constitutes a misdeal, and the cards must be collected, shuffled, and dealt again. Typically, the same dealer reshuffles and redeals in the case of a misdeal.
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Fair Play: While not a rule per se, it's considered good etiquette to shuffle and deal the cards in a manner that is transparent and fair, ensuring all players feel confident in the integrity of the game.
These procedures for shuffling, cutting, and dealing in cribbage are designed to ensure that every hand starts fairly, maintaining the game's integrity and the players' trust in the process.