So this goal has been a long time coming...

In December 2004 I found FTR.com and started reading everything I could to learn how to play poker before actually putting any real money on-line.

Then, in Jan 2005 I decided to put $50 on Paradise Poker and play the $2NL tables to get some real experience. I had read about bonus whoring and made it my goal to reach $500 off my inital $50 deposit. My plan was to stay at Paradise so that I didn't waste any more initial deposit bonuses. When I got to $500 I would then start the wheel rolling on Party Poker.

Here is kinda how my progress went:
Jan05 to June05 - BR went from $50 to $150 plaing $2NL
July05 to Nov05 - BR increased from $50 to $340 plaing $5SNG with a few $10SNG when my BR was over $200
Nov05 to Jan06 - BR went from $340 to $100 playing $5SNG
Feb06 to May06 - BR went from $100 to $200 playing $2NL - I re-evaluated and found that I enjoyed the theory behind ring game poker as opposed to SNG poker, so I changed my focus to learn ring. The bad beats just didn't affect me like they do playing SNGs because I know that I can re-load and take that money right back.
May06 to July06 - BR went from $200 to $500 playing $10NL

Now I feel that I'm ready for the next step to the $25 at Party to take full advantage of the initial deposit bonus. What can I expect from those tables? They are the lowest limits that Party offers and there are more players at Party than at Paradise. Can I expect the same level of fishiness at the Party $25NL that I saw at the Paradise $10NL?

I had been 3-tabling the $10NL at Paradise, but until I get comfortable at the new stakes I'm just going to play one table. Then I'll gradually add to that when it feels right.

I think in the past year and a half, I've really developed my patience at this game, both through experience and learning here at FTR.