Burn Card
A card discarded face-down from the top of the deck before dealing the flop, turn, and river. This is done to prevent cheating.
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What Is Burn Card?
Burning a card before each new round of community cards helps guard against certain forms of cheating, such as a player having seen or marked the top card of the deck. The practice is standard in casino and online poker, though online platforms simulate the burn card even though physical marking isn't possible. Burn cards are removed from play entirely and never used in determining the winning hand.
Examples
Before dealing the flop, the dealer burns the top card of the deck face-down before revealing three community cards.
Online poker software automatically burns a virtual card before each betting round for consistency with live play.
Strategy Tips
As a new player, understand that burn cards are a standard procedural safeguard and not something you need to think about strategically during a hand. If playing live poker, watch for proper burn card procedure as part of good game integrity, especially in home games without professional dealers. Recognize that burn cards do not affect probability calculations for the remaining deck, since they are simply removed from consideration. Familiarize yourself with standard dealing procedures if you plan to deal or host home games to maintain fairness.