In practice, the free card can be advantageous, particularly for players who are on a draw and want to see if they can improve their hand without the risk of losing more chips. This situation often arises when players are in a later betting round and one or more players are cautious, leading to a checking round that grants the opportunity to draw for free.
Free Card Example
For example, suppose you are holding a flush draw and you are the last to act on the turn. If you check, and the player before you also checks, you are granted a free card to see if you hit your flush on the river without having to commit additional chips.