Sometimes, when you’re looking at your cards, do you see this? Nothing but junk? We hear ya.

Junk Hands are pretty much useless, but if you don’t know what they are then you could be in for a world of trouble. Here’s what to look for:

They usually include only one face card, a weak ace paired with a crap low card. For example: A, 2 unsuited, 2, 7, 10, 7, K, 3 and J, 8 etc. Sadly, in a game of Texas Hold’em the majority of hands you’ll end up getting will be nothing but junk. My advice? Muck them preflop. If you don’t and you decide instead to play these cards, you’ll only lose money.

There are, however, a few situations were playing junk cards can work to your advantage. But before you get ahead of yourself and think that you can bluff your way out of every junk hand that comes your way, understand that these strategies require discipline and patience. When you are in late position, for example, and you’ve got a table of limpers, this may be a good time to limp in also with your junk hand. Still, be careful of flopping a big hand or you may end up on the losing end of a large pot.

Here’s another situation that may work for you…steal the blinds. If you are in late position and no one ahead of you has entered the pot, you can raise and hope to steal the blinds. However, if the blinds re-raise you — fold.

Keep in mind that when you play junk hands you also run the risk of putting your table on tilt.