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What is a Burn Card in Blackjack: Rules and Meanings

What is a Burn Card in Blackjack? Rules and Meanings

The idea of “burning” a card exists in many casino card games, including blackjack. It’s something instilled into every dealer and something that all players have come to expect. But what is a burn card in blackjack, how is this action performed, and what is its purpose?

What is a Burn Card in Blackjack?

At the beginning of each betting round, the dealer may discard the top card from the deck/shoe. This is known as the blackjack burn card. They perform this action to reduce the risk of cheating via a method known as card marking.

If players can somehow mark the back of the cards, they will theoretically know what is coming next. They can look at the card on the top of the deck and plan their actions accordingly, such as hitting if they think it will give them a strong hand and standing if the card will cause them to go bust.

The dealer can eliminate this risk by “burning” the card before they deal.

Of course, marking cards will still be beneficial, even if they are repeatedly burned. For instance, if the card is an ace or a picture card, the player will know there is one less card of this type in the deck, which could influence their decision. But this would be a marginal benefit at best.

Do Burn Cards Only Exist in Blackjack?

The action of burning a card is not limited to blackjack. It’s something that you will also see in other card games. It is prevalent in poker, for instance, where single decks are used, and thus, it provides many opportunities to players who are able to mark the cards.

In games of Texas Hold’em, the dealer will often burn the top card of the deck before they deal every round—flop, turn, and river. This means there will be three burned cards during every hand.

Burn Card Rules in Blackjack

In some casinos, the burn card is shown to the players after it is drawn. It is then placed in the discard tray. The dealer will burn the first card in the shoe when they play. After a change in dealers, the new dealer will also burn the first card in the shoe.

As noted above, this is primarily to prevent players from cheating by marking cards, but there is also an element of superstition and tradition at play. In other words, they do it because they have always done it, even if it doesn’t make that much sense anymore.

Does a Blackjack Burn Card Change the Game?

To the average player, a burn card doesn’t mean anything. If you have just read your first guide on blackjack and are still acquainting yourself with card values in blackjack, you don’t need to worry about burn cards. If you are counting cards, however, it can be a different story.

Do Burn Cards Matter if You’re Counting Cards?

The idea of counting cards is not to remember all the cards in the deck, as some Hollywood productions would have you believe. It’s all about keeping a running total that you reduce or increase based on whether you see low or high cards. That way, you know when more low or high cards remain in the shoe.

This can complicate things when burn cards are introduced, as the dealer removes cards you need to account for.

Counters will add the burned card to their running total if the dealer shows the burned card. If not, they will dismiss it and continue as normal. Since you can’t legislate for it, you should ignore it.

It only makes a notable difference when the casino burns multiple cards, which happens on occasion.

It can skew the count in such cases, but counters will continue as normal again. They can still beat the game if they count correctly and bet according to card-counting strategies.

Do Dealers Burn Cards in Online Blackjack?

Virtual blackjack games are governed by random number generators, equivalent to the decks being shuffled after every hand. There is also no way for the players or the casino to mark these cards, so burning a card is unnecessary. If it has been built into the animation, you may still see something like this happen, but it doesn’t impact the game.

It can be different if you enjoy the live blackjack experience at BetUS, as these games use real cards, tables, and dealers. Again, there is no way for players to mark the cards, but you may still see this happen.

Summary: Burn Card Meaning in Blackjack

Burn cards exist to protect casinos against cheats. They can cause a headache for card counters but do not impact the average player. The only players who suffer from burn cards are the ones marking the cards and trying to cheat the game, and that’s why burn cards in blackjack exist.

Blackjack Common Queries

What is the purpose of a burn card in blackjack?

Burn cards remove the top card and prevent players from trying to cheat by marking cards. For instance, they could play many games and mark all of the aces by scuffing them. They will then look out for those cards on the top of the deck and increase their wager if they know one is coming. Unlike card counting, this practice is illegal.

When is a burn card used in blackjack?

It is the top card of the deck, which the dealer removes and adds to a discard pile. Some casinos show this card to players, but that is not true for all of them.

How does the burn card affect the game in blackjack?

It doesn’t change things for the average player, even if they use strict strategies like basic blackjack strategy. It can influence the odds for card counters, which means they can’t get an accurate count, but it doesn’t make as much of a difference as you might think.

Why do casinos use burn cards in blackjack?

They use burn cards to stop players from cheating. They mark the cards, wait for a marked card to appear on the top of the deck, and then place bets based on that card.

Are burn cards used in every blackjack game?

Burn cards are used in most variations of blackjack. They are also common in other card games, including poker.

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