What is setup & deal in Cribbage?

Verdict

The pack must be mixed or shuffled at least three times (including by mechanical card shufflers) with the cards hidden from both players; the shuffler may not look at the bottom card after the last shuffle, on pain of a two-point penalty and a reshuffle (Rule 2.1).; The pone — the opponent of the...

Source: Rule 2.1, Rule 1.6, Rule 2.2, Rule 2.3, Rule 3.1, Rule 3.2, Rule 3.3, Rule 4.1, Rule 4.2, Rule 5.1, Rule 5.2, Rule 4.3, Rule 4.4, Rule 4.5, Rule 6.1, Rule 6.3, Rule 6.2, Rule 6.4 — American Cribbage Congress — Cribbage Tournament Rules

Why people argue about this

People often assume that only the dealer has the right to shuffle once per hand, forgetting that both players have equal rights under Rule 2.1 and 2.2. This oversight leads to misunderstandings about who can shuffle during a cribbage game setup.

Send this to your friend — argument over.

Section 3: Setup & Deal

The pack must be mixed or shuffled at least three times (including by mechanical card shufflers) with the cards hidden from both players; the shuffler may not look at the bottom card after the last shuffle, on pain of a two-point penalty and a reshuffle (Rule 2.1).
The pone — the opponent of the dealer (Rule 1.6) — has the right to shuffle once (Rule 2.2), and the dealer has the right to shuffle last (Rule 2.3).
To determine the first dealer of a game, the pack is cut following a defined procedure (Rule 3.1); the player cutting the lower-rank card deals first (Rule 3.2). The pack is cut again before each subsequent deal (Rule 3.3).
The dealer distributes cards one at a time, face down, alternately to each player beginning with the pone, until each has six cards (Rule 4.1–4.2). The pone must not reach for or touch the cards before dealing is complete (Rule 4.2.c).
Each player then discards two cards to form the crib, which belongs to the dealer and is placed face down on the dealer's side of the board (Rule 5.1). The crib may not be examined or exposed until the specified counting stage; doing so is a two-point penalty (Rule 5.2).
Exposed cards during the deal are handled by rule (Rule 4.3), as is an incorrect number of cards in a hand or the crib, which carries a detailed table of corrective actions depending on when the error is discovered (Rule 4.4).
An imperfect pack — a defective card, or duplicate cards discovered during play — is addressed separately, including retraction of pegged points where required (Rule 4.5).
Only after both players discard to the crib does the pone cut the pack to determine the starter card (Rule 6.1).
If the starter is a Jack, the dealer scores two points — "his heels" — and forfeits them if a card is played before pegging (Rule 6.3).
Exposing more than one card on the starter cut is covered by rule; the correct top card becomes the starter and both players may see the exposed card before it returns to the pack (Rule 6.2).
After the starter card is turned, the deck is placed on the dealer's side of the board (Rule 6.4).

Section 3: Setup & Deal

The pone — the opponent of the dealer (Rule 1.6) — has the right to shuffle once (Rule 2.2), and the dealer has the right to shuffle last (Rule 2.3).

To determine the first dealer of a game, the pack is cut following a defined procedure (Rule 3.1); the player cutting the lower-rank card deals first (Rule 3.2). The pack is cut again before each subsequent deal (Rule 3.3).

The dealer distributes cards one at a time, face down, alternately to each player beginning with the pone, until each has six cards (Rule 4.1–4.2). The pone must not reach for or touch the cards before dealing is complete (Rule 4.2.c).

Each player then discards two cards to form the crib, which belongs to the dealer and is placed face down on the dealer's side of the board (Rule 5.1). The crib may not be examined or exposed until the specified counting stage; doing so is a two-point penalty (Rule 5.2).

Exposed cards during the deal are handled by rule (Rule 4.3), as is an incorrect number of cards in a hand or the crib, which carries a detailed table of corrective actions depending on when the error is discovered (Rule 4.4).

An imperfect pack — a defective card, or duplicate cards discovered during play — is addressed separately, including retraction of pegged points where required (Rule 4.5).

Only after both players discard to the crib does the pone cut the pack to determine the starter card (Rule 6.1).

If the starter is a Jack, the dealer scores two points — "his heels" — and forfeits them if a card is played before pegging (Rule 6.3).

Exposing more than one card on the starter cut is covered by rule; the correct top card becomes the starter and both players may see the exposed card before it returns to the pack (Rule 6.2).

After the starter card is turned, the deck is placed on the dealer's side of the board (Rule 6.4).

Section 3: Setup & Deal