SummaryThis paper analyzes averaged symbol error probabilities of burst transmission consisting of pilot and data symbols for hybrid adaptive decode‐or‐amplify‐forward (HDAF) relaying systems. Under the assumption of quasi‐static Rayleigh fading channels with independent and non‐identically distribution, we consider a channel estimation scheme based on pilot symbols and show how channel estimation error affects received signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) and symbol error probability (SEP). Firstly, all the possible detection error‐events are presented for all the relay nodes, and their probabilities are derived as forms related with data symbol burst transmission. For the given error event, we analyze the conditional SEP as an exact form and then, the averaged SEP (ASEP) is approximately derived as a closed‐form. The simulation results verify that our derived ASEP expression is accurate over all the regions of SNR. Utilizing the proposed expressions, we can evaluate ASEP performance of HDAF relay systems easily and fast. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.