Quote Originally Posted by biondino
Play full ring (10-handed) for now. On these tables you will almost never be playing marginal hands - you need to be sure that your overall number of hands played (not including the big blind) is no more than 20%....

...The nature of no-limit means that you can lose in one hand what you might have expected to win in the entire session (or more). That's how it goes; if you can't handle this, then move to limit - this isn't a snidey remark; it's important to know you have the fortitude to take the inevitable lost stacks.
First I want to thank you (and everyone else that have been so helpful), for taking the time to be so thorough in your answers. I appreciate the fact that you are straight forward but not condescending. Limit may be a better choice for me here in the beginning stages, but I feel that NL is the place to really make the money so I am willing to lose money at first to perfect this game. I have read the posts though about not limiting yourself to one game, and do plan in the future to learn the strategies of others as well, such as 7-card stud etc...

Quote Originally Posted by biondino
You need to watch your expectations; 30BB/100 (with BB = 2x big blind) isn't possible outside the short term; 20BB/100 is JUST about possible if you play flawless poker; 10BB/100 is about the area you should be aiming at. Even 5BB/100 is solid, winning poker. Which equates to, yes, $1 per 100 hands. Those are the stakes your playing at - don't allow yourself to get impatient about making $$$.
This is part of what I wanted to learn. I definitely don't mind grinding it out, I just needed a deeper understanding of what is winning poker and what is self deception

As I stated earlier, I could afford to put in a bigger BR, but I am not naieve enough to believe that more money will make me a better poker player.

Quote Originally Posted by biondino
I hope you're also aware of the long term nature of the game. One thing that ALL beginners do is rejoice if they make $20 one day and sob if they lose $15 the next. But - overall that means you've made $5! Which is what a very good player at this limit can expect to make in 250 hands! But! judging it after 2 sessions is just as bad!
I am very aware of the long term nature of this game, and am definitely looking at it in those terms. I would not bother spending the time I have spent studying for unrealistic thoughts of getting rich overnight. At the very least I would like to make a decent amount of supplemental income for years to come. Like many beginners though, my overall goal is to do this for a living at some point in time. I don't dream of being a poker superstar whose name is known throughout the poker world, but playing well enough to spend the time playing poker that I spend at work and doubling my current income IS my motivating factor. I believe that $200k a year is very achievable if you treat it like a full time job. I have already proven to myself through past experience that I have the self discipline to work it like a job.

As for the rest of your reply, thank you very much for the knowledge. I read and re-read, then I play. After that, I read some more and re-read things again until they become second nature. I have notes that I have read at least 15 times, and still when I read them again, I learn something new that applies to my gameplay. I literally go to sleep thinking about poker, and wake up thinking about it as well. I truly am treating this as a career change and thank you for helping to make this happen.