Coin game

Here is game I heard on the math factor

Puzzle

Suppose you have eight coins of various denominations. Line these coins up in a line. You and your opponent take turns taking a coin from either end of the remaining line. The goal of the game is it end up with more money that your opponent. Should you go first or second, and what is the winning strategy?

Hint

There is a winning (although not optimal) strategy which works because there are an even number of coins. The strategy would not work for an odd number of coins