The hands you decide not to fold are called your starting hands. The major factors which you should take into account when deciding which hands to play are:
- The strength of your hand
- Whether the bet has been raised and by how much before it gets to you
- How many people are in, or you feel are likely to be in
- Your position in relation to the dealer
- The style of your opponents, how aggressive they are and what hands they tend to play
