Burn Card

Burn Card Description – A Simple Anti-cheating Technique in Card Games

A burn card is a feature used in many card games, most notably in poker. It’s the first playing card from the top of the deck that is always discarded or “burned.”

This means that it goes directly into the muck and won’t be used by any player. The dealer will typically discard the burn card face down, so no player can see it.

Using a burn card is common in almost every casino around the world, as it serves a very important purpose. It deters and, to a great extent, prevents players from cheating. Any regular card can also be burned if an irregularity happens.

For example the dealer will burn the misdealt card(s) and deal again if a misdeal happens. This helps ensure the game’s fairness in case any player saw the card(s) during this irregularity.