Postillion as the ‘cut card’?

Question

A postillion is the 'cut card' that protects/hides, the face of the bottom card in the pack in card games such as poker.
The standard definition of that word is:

a person who rides the leading nearside (left-hand side) horse of a team or pair drawing a coach or carriage, especially when there is no coachman.

And I read at wictionary this etymology:

From Middle French postillon, and its likely source, Italian postiglione (“guide for driver of post-coach”), from posta (“post”).

How and when did the cut-card become known as a postillion?

Greybeard · Accepted Answer

A postillion is the 'cut card' that protects/hides, the face of the bottom card in the pack in card games such as poker.

It would appear that as a postillion sat adjacent to (or rode with) the driver, and as his job was to guard the driver and coach, then the card that sits next to the bottom card is next to (or accompanying) the bottom card (to protect it from being seen.)
If you have 3 aces and you can see that the bottom card is an ace, you know that nobody else has an ace, etc.

Postillion as the ‘cut card’?

One Answer

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question