Bridge players (and to extend the definition somewhat, general card fans) almost always end up owning a whole selection of card decks.

Some will be gifts from friends, others will be acquired over time. Some are special orders or limited edition decks, and some will be decks that you can’t remember where the heck they came from – but they’re in your collection anyhow.

But what do you do if you have an odd, left over couple of playing cards from a deck that will never play again?

Don’t discard it!

Here are some weird uses for that single, odd playing card we all seem to have somewhere.

1. Give your pictures an edge

If you wanted to take a really bad-ass selfie holding up your chosen playing card (like the Ace of Spades) to the camera, what are you going to need?

A single playing card.

If you’re a photography enthusiast, you can probably imagine a hundred different situations in which a single playing card could pose well.

Just don’t blame the BBO column when “playing card planking accident” becomes a news headline somewhere.

2. Complete another deck

If you have a single playing card that doesn’t seem to fit, check the originating deck.

Finding the make and model of the right deck can be as easy as locating the box, but might also be as difficult as having to search the card back design to track it down.

Once you have, keep the playing card just in case it completes another deck of its type.

Ask online, too. Many players are looking to complete board game sets or playing card decks that are missing just an essential few – and you might be the person to have it.

3. Steady the bridge table

Matchbooks are becoming harder to find in the inventory of the average person, as less people are inclined smoke (and possibly, some more inclined to vape).

So, what are you supposed to put under the bridge table’s leg to steady it?

Try a couple of playing cards from a cheaper, discarded deck rather than a matchbook. It serves exactly the same purpose, but you don’t have to go to the effort of finding someone with spare matches.

4. Stabilize a SIM

Some devices run on micro-SIM cards, which are much smaller than older phones have the space for. This can lead to interesting situations where you try to fit your SIM card into the back of the phone just to have it wiggle around (and lose connection as a result).

Grab a craft knife, and cut out a section just big enough to hold the SIM in place.

It’s thin enough to fit in the SIM slot and stop it from moving around too much.

5. Learn to throw it

Playing card throwing is an art that turns out to be a lot more than superstition.

Yes, you can throw a playing card hard enough for it to slice what’s on the other end. Yes, it can be dangerous – even though not fatally dangerous, you could still end up jamming a playing card into someone’s eye, and that’s a trip to the emergency room.

Nothing says you can’t try to learn the skill by throwing cards at inanimate objects, though.

It’s all in the wrist, as they say.

Have fun. Watch some introductory YouTube videos just to make sure you have a better starting idea – and of course, don’t aim at anything with eyes.

6. Practice new tricks

Many card tricks require the initial modification or slight alteration of a playing card in the deck to make it stand out. Some card tricks even require the total destruction of the playing card used to do the trick – say, by fire.

Use your selection of playing card singles to practice these tricks instead of risking one of your complete decks.