Why do we burn cards between betting rounds?

[jokerpoker]

Why do we burn cards between betting rounds? My dad (who's in his 70s) asks me every weekend. Can anyone give me the answer?

My opinion is that the burn card started as a preventative card against cheating during home dealt games. It just became the norm.

[Rasputin]

If the top card is marked, everyone can see it. If the next card played is not the top card it doesn't matter if it's marked because nobody has seen it.

[Bluffoon]

A burn card is a card dealt face down at the beginning of a round, before any other cards are dealt. This card is not used in the play of the hand. The main reason for this custom is to guard against marked cards. If the cards are marked, a player who can read the backs will know what the top card on the deck is. In a flop-game like Hold'em or Omaha, knowledge of the next board card is extremely profitable. Knowledge of which card it will *not* be is slightly useful, but much less so.

[Xhad]

-If the top card of the deck is marked, it's less cheater-friendly if that card will not be put into play.
-If the top card is accidentally exposed before betting is over for a round, the burn custom says that card wouldn't have been used anyway so it won't actually affect the final board. Again, it's less harmful for everyone to know x card is "dead" than for them to know that it will be one of the flop cards.

[ShamaLamDingDong]

Because you touch yourself at night.

SHAMA LAMA...DING DONG!