I also recommend foxwoods if you get the chance. I played in their weekly saturday limit holdem tournament a couple of times and it was alot of fun. Its run very professionally. Entry fee was only $35 with a $20 rebuy. I ended up placing 2nd once and the payout was $1500. Too bad I live in the midwest now, away from both the poker action on the west and east coasts.
I have heard that there is a huge difference in level of play from say 5-10 vs 10-20 and 10-20 vs 20-40, but that if one were to play too long at 2-4 one would develop habits which might not be advantageous at higher tables. In other words, low-limit hold'em can be seen as a separate class where one would play quite differently than at 5-10 or 10-20; moving on to a higher stakes table after a long apprenticeship at 2-4 might mean learning the game over from a different perspective. Someone once told me to start out at 2-4 just to get a feel for the mechanics of the casino table but to move on to 5-10 as soon as possible -- it might make the learning curve that much more expensive but he said you'd learn the right way to play faster.
You are 100% correct, in my opinion. But when you are playing at the 5-10, it doesn't mean you have to lose money. If you lose a little that's ok. I just don't agree with the, "the losses are your tuition" train of thought. Again, if you lose a little that's ok. But, there is no excuse for consistently losing alot, or for having large losing days that wipes out the many small winning days. That's all crazy stuff.
what game and what limits are recommended for a starter who knows poker but hasn't played "professionally"? another question: you are dealt with a hand - is the key to being a good player, the ability to bluff?
If you're asking what the "key" is to being a good player - then you probably know the rules, but don't know poker. It's more than just bluffing, it's more than just figuring the odds, it's more than any one thing. Find yourself a good book on the type of poker you're thinking of playing (while they share the same "hands" schema, draw poker isn't the same game as stud which isn't the same game as hold 'em) and then try a low stakes internet-based game for a while and then find a low stakes table at a nearby casino to find out how it plays out in real life. Used to be lots of draw poker games at card houses in the LA area for example, but hold'em is the big "pro" game most places (like the WPT).
you should be able to break even at least just by playing good starting hands. i learned how to play 2 days before going to vegas. made $100 in 3/6, then pulled an all nighter and won $350 playing 15/30 (not a lot for that level, but i was happy). there were some pros at one of the of the tables during the all night session too (phil mcgriel or "quack quack" for all you WPT fans). i read phil hellmuth's new book, and only played pairs 77s or higher, AK, and AQ - then Ax suited and KQ if only one bet to me. there were prolly 3 hands out of 10 hours that made the difference for me. a nut flush, a set of 10s, and when i got a full house with pocket 99s on the turn (i was behind as the other guy had a higher pair). those three pots prolly totaled $800-$1000.
Foxwoods in Connecticut and the Taj in Atlantic City, and now living in Portland, Oregon and playing at the casinos here, I've got to say for some reason players out here are much tougher. Can't really figure out why though.......