[smoore]

Commit to memory the concepts in SSH, try to understand as much of ToP as you can get your head around. Sign up at a party skin (don't forget rakeback) and deposit $300. Buy a program called pokertracker and learn how to get hand histories into it. I would suggest NOT using a heads up display program like playerview for this incursion, learn how to win without it.

Play many, many, many hands at the limit holdem .50/1 level at the party skin and constantly analyze your play via pokertrackers "playback" feature. Figure out what is working and what isn't. Post really problem hands in the micro-limit forum. Take thier advice with a grain of salt until you figure out who gives good advice. Spend 1/3 of your "poker time" playing and the other 2/3 reading/analyzing.

Play live games every chance you get. Don't worry about beating the rake at low limit (2/4) at the casino, just play correctly. Play home games, learn the wacky games people like to call. You will have an advantage with that big'ol blackjack brain of yours.

Once you get a good 10k hands under your belt, try two tables at .50/1. Multitabling gives good return for little risk. I play four and may be ready to try six. Now you can go start to bonus whore some. Read "the zoo" here (internet forum) for the juicy bonus deals. When you get sick of whoring for a week or two, open up a PokerStars account and give tournaments a try. They have the best software and lots of fishy tournaments. I honed my NL skills in tournaments so I wouldn't get wiped out playing ring games. Keep playing live games the whole time.

Good luck. Don't move up in limits too quickly, prove to yourself you can beat the ultra-fish. When you get good stay away from ME! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]