Junk Hands

Junk hands are the hands you should normally never play, barring getting a free look from the big blind. Of course, even among junk hands, some holdings are better than others, and I like to classify junk hands into a few different categories:

Pure Junk: These are the hands you will basically never, ever want to play, as they have almost no redeeming value. Sure, you might get to check with them in the big blind and flop a full house, but other than that, these hands have absolutely nothing going for them. Examples include 8♦3♣, J♣2♠, or 5♥2♦. Seriously, you don't need to play these hands, even if you're Gus Hansen. On the other hand, since they have virtually no value, they can sometimes make excellent bluffing hands; if your opponent raises you, you won't feel bad about having to fold.

Deceptive Junk: These are the kinds of hands played by casual players who are far too loose. These hands look like they're offering you some value, but in reality, they'll make a whole lot of second-best hands -- and not a lot of winners. Examples include T♣5♣, Q♠7♦, and low unsuited connectors like 5♦4♣. These hands also shouldn't be played under normal circumstances, but the suited cards and connectors are the kinds of hands a good player can play from the small blind or limp on the button with in a game against especially loose and bad opponents.

Junk That Isn't Always Junk: Hands like A♦6♣ and K♠9♥ aren't good in most situations; like the hands in the Deceptive Junk category, they tend to make second best hands when you flop a pair and lose to a better kicker. However, these hands are actually good hands when you're short stacked and want to get all-in before the flop. This is because they run well "hot-and-cold" -- that is to say, when you're guaranteed to see a showdown and don't have to worry about facing additional bets. The shorter stacked you are, the more hands fit into this category.

Why make such distinctions? As I mentioned earlier, there are some cases where you'll want to play some of these junky-looking hands, so it's important to know which hands are really bad, and which ones you normally don't want to play but will occasionally find a use for. Next time you get a terrible hand, take a second look and think about the situation you're in before throwing them away!

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