Burn Card
A card removed face-down from the top of the deck after a shuffle before dealing begins.
Detailed Explanation
Burning a card is a standard dealing procedure in most card games including blackjack, poker, and baccarat. After shuffling and cutting the deck or shoe, the dealer places the top card face-down into the discard tray without exposing it to players. This practice originated as a protection against marking the top card during the shuffle and to prevent anyone who may have glimpsed the top card from using that information.
In poker, a card is also burned before the Flop, before the Turn, and before the River. This procedure guards against accidental exposure of the next card during the deal and prevents any advantage gained from a briefly flashed card during the shuffle.
Burn cards are relevant for card counters and shuffle trackers. In single-deck blackjack, burning a high card (10-value or Ace) early can meaningfully shift the remaining deck composition. Some casinos burn multiple cards after each reshuffle, or burn cards mid-shoe at the pit supervisor's discretion, specifically to disrupt counting strategies.
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