After reading Perfect Dodge's post, I got all worked up and registered and have to "1st post" also......

We sound very similar in our new-found love for the online game and community. I am 45, have 3 kids, two in college, 1 almost there...I have been a single parent for the last 18 years. My "joy" in life was teaching my kids as they grew up. Taught son baseball, golf and pool, and the girls, golf and pool. Son plays bb in college now, still love to watch him but he is "untethered" now, doing it all on his own. Daughter still plays hs golf, which I coach, and she wants to go on to college with it. While I have literally poured my heart into teaching the kids, what I've come to discover as they all grow up and out is this............I LOVE TO LEARN MORE!!!! As kid #3 grows, she is gone from the house more, and I have discovered online poker. Like Dodge, I too started last week at Paradise, playing the play money tables.....The first few days I'd go up/down @ the 1000 mark, (up200, down200) and thought, eh, I'm ok. Then I started reading this forum and others, scanning the tactics/strategies sections, looking to see what my novice mind didnt "know" about Tex.Holdem. I knew how to play, but didnt understand the WHYS of it.....that's what I enjoy, just understanding the whys. After reading many articles, (but maybe not really absorbing/committing to style of play) I returned to Paradise. 4th day I went from 1000 to 2000 in a few hours. Last nite started at 2500 and in five hours was up to over 4900! I have got the "bug".......not the poker one, but the mastering Holdem bug!!! Last nite I won an auction on Ebay for three good poker books (according to all your referrals) for 13.00$ !!!! Felt like I hit a straight flush on that deal as I know these books are about 15-20$ each.

As my kids get up/out and on with their lives, I see this community as a new learning venture for myself and look forward to soaking you guys up like a spongue, making many new friends, and getting better at poker....(maybe, maybe down the road even make some money!!!) Thank you for letting me get that out, I hope to learn much from everyone here......Joe