The vertical position of each card doesn't change, but its horizontal position changes by an amount proportional to its distance from the table.
A shear in the direction of some line "pushes" points parallel to that line by an amount proportional to their (signed) distance from the line. Think of what happens if you push the top edge of a deck of cards lying on a table.
Shear in the x-direction by a positive parameter
Shear in the x-direction by a negative parameter
Shear in the y-direction by a positive parameter
Shear in the y-direction by a negative parameter