The dealer shuffles the deck or decks, and then offers the shuffled cards to be cut by a player. Sometimes, in hand-held games, games where the dealer physically holds the cards in his hands when he deals, this cut is done exactly as in any home game. The dealer sets the cards on the table, and a player simply cuts a portion of the cards from the top of the deck onto the table. In all shoe games, games where the cards are kept in a plastic device known as a shoe, however, and in most hand-held games, a "cut card" is used. The is a specially colored card that a player inserts into the deck to indicate the cut point, where the dealer then completes the cut.

After the cut, the dealer burns a card, and sometimes multiple cards. This means that he removes the top card(s) to the bottom of the deck in a single-deck game, or into the discard tray in a shoe game.

Before any cards are dealt, all bets must be placed. Each player has a betting spot on the table on which his wager is made. The dealer then deals two cards to each player. The players' cards may be dealt face up or face down. In hand-held games, facedown is more common, while in shoe games face-up is typical. Since players do not play against each other, but only against the dealer, and since the dealer must play his hand according to preset house rules regardless of what any player holds, it makes no difference for most basic strategy players if the hands are dealt face up or face down. If the cards are dealt face up, players are not allowed to touch their cards. If dealt face down, each player must pick up his two cards in order to see his hand and make his playing decisions.

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