Hey there Leslie. Welcome to the FTR forums.

It's refreshing to see a first post like yours here on the boards, and it's good to see some of our veteran posters giving their thoughts. I agree with Renton that micro-stakes real money is far better for gaining experience once a player understands the game rules.

In the situation you're referring to, I've never put any serious thought in a play money hand but in your position I'm sure I would have just shoved my remaining stack there as Eric suggests.

In the old days the minimum deposit on a lot of sites was $50 with the lowest stakes being $5+1 tournaments and $0.50/$1 cash games. Nowadays with $0.01/$0.02 cash game options available along with plenty of tourneys under $1, a $10-$25 real money deposit can go a long way and serves as a very economical way to gain skill.

Best of luck at the tables and hope to see you around here on the boards!

-David