Burke was accepted as a member by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) in 1982. His first professional tournament was the 1983 Irish Professional Championship, where he lost 2–6 to Eugene Hughes. Invited to the 1983 Irish Masters, he lost 0–5 to Tony Meo. He also lost in the first match of his third and final tournament of his first season, defeated 9–10 by Paddy Morgan in the qualifying round of the 1983 World Snooker Championship.