new to n.l. & need advice

[JTrout]

I've played app 30,000 hands of 3-6 on party, winning a little over 1 BB/hr. This week, to break the monotony, I wondered into the $25 no-limit Hold'em games on Party.
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I've read as many poker books as I could get my hands on; however, always with a slant toward limit HE. And its been a couple of years since reading TOP, Essays, and Ciaffione's. If my memory serves, TOP would best speed my learning of no-limit.
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First thing that is obvious to me when sitting in these games, no-limit is as different to limit as tennis is to ping-pong. I'm out of my element.
Second thing, what a great game. Much more difficult decisions, strategy, and need to observe opponents.
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Well, as with many newbies, I got hit over the head with the deck! I played about 600 hands and I'm up $224. Fun! Fun!
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These games have consisted of very loose, passive players, who almost always call. and occasionally push everything in. So I have been playing a ridiculous # of hands, about 50% (in 3-6 I played about 20%). It seems the implied odds in these games justifies playing any connectors, any suited, any two for 50c. I expect to wise up with experience, and I guess thats why I'm writing this.
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The one strategy that I've used is limping with even my big hands and seeing the flop. Because I've limped in with so many trash hands, it sticks out like a sore thumb when I actually raise pre-flop. Consequently, I either win a small pot, or lose a big one. But I've busted a couple of people limping w/ AK and getting them with a poor kicker. Now, I know this can't be the best strategy for no-limit; but it seems the easiest for me to play. I need advice. I'd like to continue playing no-limit (or pot-limit) but I don't want to be the fish at the table [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].
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I appreciate your replies.
Speck