Burn card, burn
A burn card is a playing card that is normally played from the top of the deck. The burn card is never handed out to any player. This top card is placed next to the discard pile, face down, and is never revealed to any player throughout the game. The card remains unused for that round and this “discard” state can also be referred to as “burnt”.
Burning is quite common as a practice in casinos and even during poker tournaments. Dealers normally burn the top card of the deck as a way of putting of a form of cheating known as card marking. In most cases, the dealer burns the top card of the deck before each betting round, ensuring that any player who might have created or read any markings off of the card in the previous rounds, cannot recognize it and take advantage of it.
Although knowing the value of the burnt card may be useful, it may not really help in the game unless it is a significant card for the player who may have needed it. For e.g. knowing that an Ace has been discarded as the burn card may be useful, but this information might not be enough to win a game.
Burn card is also a way of dealing with another form of dealing known as second dealing. This basically involves the manipulation of the playing deck during a game wherein the second card of the deck is dealt out first rather than the top card.
Another significant advantage of a burn card is that it allows for extra cards to be part of the game when there is some discrepancy in the way the game is being played. For e.g. a misdealt card, such as a card that was flashed to other players while dealing; will be used as a burn card. After the deal is complete, the card needs to be placed face-up on the deck.
Forrige begrep: Bully, Neste begrep: Busted
