Why Do Dealers Burn Cards? Blackjack Card Dealing Rules
If you have ever watched a game of blackjack, either in person or online, you might have noticed the dealer sliding a card under the shoe or moving one aside. It happens quickly, and it can be easy to miss if you are new to the table.
You do not need any gambling experience to wonder why this little move is part of the game. There is a reason for it, and it is not just about tradition.
In the UK, casinos follow set dealing procedures designed to support fairness. Understanding a habit like burning cards could make the game feel clearer, so let’s take a closer look at why it is used and what it means for players.
What Burning Cards Means in Blackjack
When someone says a dealer “burns a card”, it simply means the dealer takes a card from the top of the deck or shoe and places it out of play. That card will not be dealt to anyone at the table. It usually happens right before the first cards are handed out.
This step does not change the rules or payouts, but it is part of the official dealing procedure. You will see it in many UK casinos and in online blackjack, where the software often performs the burn automatically. Some online games show the burn clearly, while others handle it in the background.
If you do decide to try your hand at blackjack, remember to do so responsibly and within your means; never wager more than you can afford to lose.
How Burning Cards Helps Prevent Cheating
Burning cards helps protect the game from unfair advantage. Removing the top card before dealing reduces the chance that anyone can use information about that card, whether seen by accident or through deliberate effort.
It disrupts a few well-known problems. If the top card was glimpsed during a shuffle, burning makes that knowledge useless. It also breaks up any simple attempts at tracking the order of cards from the shuffle to the deal. In short, the procedure makes it harder to predict what is coming next.
Online blackjack mirrors this principle. Even when cards are shuffled digitally, the system may still remove a card at the start of a shoe to follow the same fair approach used at physical tables.
How Many Cards Are Burned in a Standard Blackjack Shoe
Most standard blackjack tables that use a shoe with multiple decks will burn one card at the start of a new shoe. That is the most common approach.
Some houses use different procedures. One example is “burn by value”, where the dealer looks at the first card and burns that number of cards. If the first card is a 7, seven cards are burned. You might also see extra burns after a misdeal or a visible error, simply to reset the flow of play. In games that use a continuous shuffling machine, a burn might not be used because cards are constantly being fed back into the shuffle.
The exact method is a matter of house rules. If you are ever unsure, the table’s posted rules or an online game’s information page will spell out what that table does.
Do All Casinos Burn Cards?
Not every casino handles dealing in exactly the same way. Burning a card at the start of a shoe is very common, especially in multi-deck shoe games, but it is not universal.
Hand-dealt single-deck games may use a burn, although some follow alternative security checks instead. Multi-deck shoes usually include a burn at the start of a fresh shoe. In online blackjack, live dealer tables often show the burn clearly, while purely digital games may perform it silently or use a different shuffle routine.
Local procedures and technology shape the choice. That is why you might notice small differences between casinos, and even between tables in the same venue.
Does Burning Cards Affect Blackjack Odds?
Burning removes one or more cards at random before any hands are dealt. Because no one knows which cards were taken out, the expected mix of ranks for the cards that remain is essentially unchanged.
In a six-deck shoe there are 312 cards. Removing a single card reduces the deck by roughly 0.32 percent. The chance of being dealt any particular rank shifts by such a tiny amount that it does not alter basic strategy or the usual house edge in any meaningful way. If the burned card happened to be an ace or a ten-value card, the true odds for that specific shoe would move slightly. However, because the identity of the burned card is unknown, players cannot act on that information.
This is why casinos use the burn to support integrity rather than to influence results. It helps protect the game without materially changing the maths that players rely on.
Play Blackjack Online
If you want to explore blackjack from home, King Casino offers a range of online tables, from classic formats to modern takes, all available on your schedule. Each game sets out its rules clearly, so you can see how details like card burning and shuffling are handled before you consider joining a table.
Everything runs to UK standards for fairness and transparency. Registration is simple, and you can browse the full selection at your own pace. Account tools are available to help you manage your play in line with your preferences and budget.
Whether you are learning the ropes or returning to a favourite game, feel free to have a look around, compare tables, and play in a way that suits you. Always keep responsible gambling practices in mind.
**The information provided in this blog is intended for educational purposes and should not be construed as betting advice or a guarantee of success. Always gamble responsibly.
*All values (Bet Levels, Maximum Wins etc.) mentioned in relation to these games are subject to change at any time. Game features mentioned may not be available in some jurisdictions.
