Burn card

Basic Definition

A burn card refers to a card that the dealer discards face down from the deck before dealing the community cards on each street (flop, turn, river) in poker.

Specific Situation

• After the pre-flop, the dealer discards one card from the deck and then reveals the flop.
• A burn card is placed before the turn and river are revealed.

Important Information

• Burn cards are used to prevent cheating. Even if the top card of the deck has scratches or marks that reveal its identity, using it as a burn card minimizes its impact on the game.
• Players cannot see the burn card. Since it does not affect the progression of the game, there is generally no need to worry about it.

Examples of Term Usage

"The game was temporarily halted because the dealer mistakenly discarded two burn cards."