Trying to decide what to play....

I'm starting to play poker again, and have been thinking about what I want out of it. I'd like suggestions on the best way to go about it. First my history and goals, then my question...

Related History:
About 4 years ago I stopped playing poker. I was a professional set mining nit for about 2 years before then. Bad bankroll management, and stress killed poker for me, and I went back to a day job. It's been long enough that I enjoy playing again.

My Goals:

• Greatly improve my game.
  
  • I was a set miner - that's more about patience and discipline than skill.
  
  
  • Learn to become better at reading hands
  
  
  • Understanding the game beyond "fit or fold"
  
  
  • Becoming a LAGG isn't the goal - becoming a better player is the goal

• Earn enough money from poker to...
  
  • Take random $15 to $25 MTT shots - just a couple a month
  
  
  • Pay for a few live game trips and build a live bankroll. This is ~4 hour drive to the Hard Rock - I'm not talking about a $20,000 vagas trip.
  
  
  • Make smaller withdraws to do something special with my family every once in a while - $2000 every couple years would be great.
  
  
  • Build a new house where we live now
  
  
  • No, that wasn't a joke
  
  
  • We already own the lot
  
  
  • I don't care if it takes 10+ years.

• Profit Goals
  
  • $50/month for MTT shots
  
  
  • $100/month for special trips
  
  
  • $500/month for a house
  
  
  • I'm assuming that a live bankroll will pay for itself.
  
  
  • $650/month ~ $150/week

• Bankroll Goals
  
  • I am starting with my leftover FTP bankroll - 11.48
  
  
  • I am starting at $2NL, and will build up from there
  
  
  • If I go busto at $2NL I'll deposit
  
  
  • I will NEVER play outside my bankroll

I don't think these are unreasonable goals even averaging just a couple hours a day. Not paying bills with the winnings does make a huge difference.

Now that you have passed my wall of text, it's time for for my question...

In the past I've normally played full ring. With my new goals I wonder if 6-Max might be a better fit - at least in the short term. Fewer players to watch would make it easier to get reads. On the other hand, I think hand ranges are better defined in full ring. Later on I'll try both to find where my profit is best, but where should I start if I'm looking purely at improving hand reading? Which do you think is better for learning to becoming better at placing players on hands?

Any other suggestions/questions?

Thanks

got rakeback at ftp?
if not, consider moving to stars or absolute or something. Also, check the rakeback pros thing to see if you can get rb added to the account. If you don't already have a stars account then i recommend absolute until br = $600 so you can max out the stars first deposit bonus.
regarding your game of choice - up to you. All can be profitable and good for hand reading.

If you don't start somewhere you will never reach anywhere.
I think that's an awesome starting list.
Keep revising it and continue to let it grow.
Taking 4 years off from poker is a long time, but if you want something bad enough then go for it.

Good luck.

Play 2nl and study more gg gl

With your small BR, I'd probably start at FR and try to grind it up since you have experience there from the past and its generally accepted as lower variance. Once you have $30+, you can play around with 6m or whatever. Obviously, since you're willing to redeposit if you busto, you can just jump into 6m and go from there.

But like spoon said, just study, post hands, put people on ranges all the time, and you'll be killing it before you know it.

I made a small "play" deposit of $20 into pokerstars so I can play some MTT's for "old times sake"

Thanks for all the helpful advice everyone.

Well, I played 1 MTT with the $20 so far.... Not a bad start


PokerStars Tournament #269861501, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $4.00/$0.40 USD
180 players
Total Prize Pool: $720.00 USD
Tournament started 2010/05/05 19:15:17 ET


Dear Laeelin,

You finished the tournament in 2nd place. A USD 144.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account.

===============================

Now I need to decide if the play money I put in pokerstars for playing MTT's should become my bankroll, or if I should stick to my original plan and use that deposit + winnings to keep playing MTT's when I want to while building up from the microstakes and $10.... Choices, Choices

To bad I don't have rakeback at PS or I could just play everything there.

Stars has rakeback in the form of FPPs. I'm too lazy to get into it, but yea everyone has rakeback there. Use the $140 or whatever as your BR now. You can still play MTTs and all that obviously whenever. I'd suggest starting at 2nl or 5nl if you want since you're rolled and start building it up.

Nice score btw.

Consider the 4.10 KO STT on stars too. super good for grinding up a bankroll. Lots of fish... usually a couple who chase bounties like mad..
I'm +200 over ~100 of these and I don't consider myself too good.

Nl omaha hl stt ko's on stars lol!

Just a quick update...

I've been enjoying multitable turbo SNG's so much I've kind of stopped playing anything else... I had forgotten how much fun a 3+ table turbo SnG is.

It's also nice to hit a lucky streak lol. I'm now sitting at a $500 bankroll.