I have been playing poker for a couple of years, and online for just under a year now, NLHE $50 and $100 buyins. I started on UB w/ a roll of $1000 because I knew about variance by reading before playing a single hand online. Over the course of the first 7-8 months or so online, I did well, playing really really tight (20% of flops on full ring). I was up to just under $2500 at a peak, not bad. Then I started playing a little more loosely about 2-3 months ago. That is when I also started playing break even poker. Here's the rub: while I'm not making nearly as much money in terms of BB/hr or BB/100, I feel as though I am getting much better as a player than if I had continued to sit there with my teeth in my mouth and make Robby Robot plays all day. In other words, I don't think I would have nearly the same insight into reading hands and betting patterns had I continued on the rock formation path. Sure, my variance has increased, but god dammit I have learned so much by mixing up my play purposefully.

I guess in a nutshell I'm looking at the lower buyin levels as cheap practice for working on my postflop play with an eye on higher limits in the future. Anyone else take this approach in their progression in becoming a better player? Anyone recommend that I stop? I am really enjoying playing the LAGGy style much more than TAG, and I think it's broadening my perceptions immeasurably. I'm fairly certain that at my stakes I could tighten right back up and go back into autopay mode, but I'm more concerned over the long haul (3-5+ years) that this will limit my opportunities in becoming a much better player. When it comes down to it, I want to be able to adapt to each individual table based on my perception thereof, and I am not sure I can do this by just playing TAG all day.

g00t or bad?