Careful player! Don’t you start betting like a madman. When you get two eights in the pocket, you need to consider very carefully all of the factors involved in a solid pre-flop strategy.
The factors to take into account are the number of players, how aggressive or passive the players at the table are, your own bankroll, your position, and of course how much risk you are willing to entail.
The Number of players – With ten people at the table, it is way more likely that someone else has a strong hand in the pocket than in a short-handed game. Also, you’ll need to be more cautious in larger games, where the chances of somebody’s pre-flop hand fitting the flop will be many times better. Remember, more competition means stiffer competition.
Just how aggressive the players are – Assume that you’ve been playing with a few people for several hands, and you’ve noticed that some knucklehead is raising every hand pre-flop. You will want to play tighter. Let the guy win the blinds and nail his ass to the wall when you have a solid hand in the pocket pre-flop.
Bankroll – If you have $2 left, obviously you’ll want to play extremely carefully and select one hand to bet on, hoping to get as many players in as possible for a larger pot. You will want to be all-in before the flop is actually dealt. On the flip-side, if you have $1000 at a $1/$2 table, you may take the high-risk, and place high-payout bets.
Position – People in late position have the capability to influence the size of the pot, much more than those in early position. This is especially true in pre-flop play.
Tolerance for risk – Depending on your style, you may want to play more or less aggressively before the flop. Players who shoot for larger pots, but don’t mind a greater risk for losing a few hands will want to raise pre-flop, especially if they are in late position. Some players would rather be as selective as possible pre-flop, grinding out a winning hand here or there. It all depends on your style, and how you read the players around you.
You also will want to consider what cards you have in your hand. AA is the best to start with. It helps if your hand is suited or if the cards are sequential in rank like a Seven and an Eight. It is also important to understand how your two cards hold up against other combinations of cards.
