One of the most fascinating things about the game of poker is that there are many different ways to play the game, and thereby many different ways to stay ahead of your competition. The basic fundamentals of poker will never change: being cogniznant of position, calculating odds, and many other factors that will always be relevant. But if you were to ask a professional player from 1975 if No Limit Holdem has changed in the last 30 years, he would undoubtedly tell you that it had.

When I started playing No Limit Holdem five years ago, the games were more passive than they are today. I feel there has been an influx of mathematical players, metagame thinkers, that are just generally a more studious brand of poker players. One could argue, and correctly so, that sites just like PocketFives.com are the driving force behind such change. <READMORE>There are two specific plays that I found to evolve in the last few years, and we will have an even greater level of evolution in the future. The players that stay ahead, adapt to ever changing concepts, and formulate new perceptions will be (and are) the players that have the greatest edge. Two plays in particular that I will discuss are the minimum raise and the all in overbet.

The minimum raise was something that was almost never utilized before online poker was formed. I don't like the play, I don't use it except for very specific situations, but I will leave it to someone more versed than myself to spell out the pros and cons for this play. Having said all that, what does the min raise mean? That is what I have found to change over the last couple of years, specifically the last year. Two years ago, I would have said more times than not that it absolutely means strength. I would see people making the minimum raise, preflop or otherwise, with ultra-made hands. This is where the perceptive, thinking internet player comes into play. People watched this play being utilized, albeit incorrectly I feel, and made it into something very different today. Players would see others fold to a min raise, and then they started to toy with the concept. So today, whenever I see someone using this play, I find it to often mean weakness. The play for the most part is horrible if you ask me, but I do find it interesting that a min raise means something very different today than what it meant a few years back.

Another play that I have found to mean something very different is the all in overbet. When I first started playing internet poker, I would hear a good number of very good players saying that one of the largest online tells is that people like to make a large all in overbet as a bluff. The actual speed in which they make the play would have been the key here. If someone pushes all in with what seems to be little to no thought, it means weakness. They would rationalize "if they were to have a legitimate hand, wouldn't they want to put some thought into the correct amount to bet?"

Fast forward only a couple of years, and you will see that many times it means something very very different. The play is losing luster more and more everyday, but you still see many players making an all in overbet in a variety of situations. Today, I tend to think players use it to convey weakness, when in reality they have very strong holdings. Many times, it looks as if you're trying to represent a hand you couldn't possibly have, or trying to steal a pot when a scare card hits the board. Again, I won't try and sell you on the advantages or disadvantages to making this play, rather challenge you to think about the evolution of this play and others. When making this play, many times, players will be losing great amounts of value, not getting paid off in small doses by 2nd best hands. Conversely, the play doesn't have to work all that often to be profitable. You can decide for yourself what balance is correct.

In the next few years these two particular plays very well may do a complete turn, and then they may mean something else entirely. If you're not looking at ways to evolve your game, then the competition is passing you by. Good players are constantly looking to make strategic adjustments to confuse their opponents, and if you're going to stay up with the competition, you must do the same. I want to be clear that I am not suggesting you use either play I have mentioned here, yet I am suggesting to look at all the plays in your playbook and find which ones are likely to be effective or ineffective down the road.</READMORE>