Introduction to Pre-Flop Strategy in Texas Holdem

Before you start betting uncontrollable like a madman when you get two eights in the pocket, you need to consider carefully all factors involved in firm pre-flop strategy,when playing online texas holdem. The factors to consider are: the number of players, how aggressive/passive the players at the table are, your bankroll, your position, and how much risk you are willing to endure, in the game of online texas hold em.
Number of players: With 10 people in the game, it’s a higher chance 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, as the chances of someone’s pre-flop hand fitting the flop will be much better. More competition means tougher competition.
How aggressive the players are: Assuming you’ve been playing with a few people for several hands, and you noticed someone raising every hand pre-flop, you’ll want to play tighter. Let the guy win the blinds, and nails him to the wall when you have a solid hand in the pocket pre-flop.
Your bankroll: If you have $2 left, you’ll have to play extremely carefully and select one hand to bet on, hoping to get as many players involved as possible for a larger pot. You’ll have to be all-in before the flop is dealt. On the opposite, if you have $1000 at a $1/$2 table, you can take the high-risk, high-payout bets.
Your position: People in the back position has the capacity to influence the size of the pot much more than those in the forward position. This is an especially true in pre-flop.
Your tolerance for risk: Depending on your personal playing style, you may want to play more or less aggressively pre-flop. Players who shoot for larger pots, but don’t mind a greater chance for losing a few hands will want to raise pre-flop, especially if they are in the late position. Some players prefer to be as carefully as possible before the pre-flop, scraping out a winning hand here or there. It really depends on your own style of play, and how you sense the players around you.
You might have to consider what cards you have in your hand. Naturally, in online hold em, 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 (“connected”). It’s important to understand how your two cards hold up against other combinations of cards.

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