Ok, so I'm new-ish to poker. I used to play a little bit with the play money back when I was 16 and I couldn't use real money. The first time I ever decided to play it was for fun, because I've always liked poker. I grew up in Vegas and I've known the rules since I was 5, but never really played it. Outside of the household, anyways. I started playing online again a few months back, now that I'm old enough to lay down cash for it, and I've a very secure job (in the military). I've made accounts on PStars and FTP with marginal bankrolls, and I've busted about 3 bankrolls of 50 bucks each. They were hard-earned lessons, but I've been getting better I think. I started a new bank roll on FTP after buying and reading a few different poker books, and checking out the random guides online. I learned that BR Management was one of my real weaknesses, and I've been following the 5-10% rule and doing well.
Anyways, my real question is where do I put my focus? I've developed a real strong understanding of what I can make with my hands, how strong they are, and everything like that, but I need more tips on trying to read other people's hands. I feel that this is a weak spot in my game. I started to pick up more on position, and raises in position and if they're preflop raises or not, and I think that's helping to make better calls on whether or not my hand is stronger than the other's, but I still find myself making some bad calls. Are there anything more I should take into consideration when thinking about the opponent's hand?
On a side note, Today, i'm up 40$ from 40 dollars. Yesterday I busted down 10 bucks from my 50, after winning one SNG and losing many. Today, however, I found myself playing much better. I only entered the $2 2 table SNGs, and I won 2/5. That's earned me a bit more, but then I also tried the 90 person knockout SNG's. I entered about 4-5 of them, and finished two of them in the top 30's, one of them I busted out early, but the final two, surprisingly enough, I did incredibly well on. I made 5th place on one, and 3rd place on the second one (Only for my pocket Q's to be busted on by a flush, it was all pre-flop betting). Anyways, I'm thinking to myself (and they might be bad thoughts to have) But I can't possibly be that bad of a poker player, right? To have cashed in about 4 times today, with two of them being 90 person tourneys? Anyways, I'm sorry for writing this so scatter-brained, because that's how I tend to think and speak.
To be as specific as I can, I want to know how I can improve my game, specifically on the "2nd" level of poker, where you consider what your opponent has.(I think that's right?) And also, if I should try not to be so prideful about winning some tourneys.
(ooh! also, should I have even been doing 90 person SnG , 3+.30 with a bankroll of 50$?)
Thanks for your time in advance.
