Firstly, good luck Ober (even though you'll probably never read this nor did we know each other).

Secondly, like others, I'm pleased to read the honesty in this thread. I sometimes get the impression from posts on FTR that everyone is doing great and crushing their particular games.

I'm pleased to see that in reality people are not always having things their own way. I certainly don't mean this in a nasty way. On the contrary, I am glad that my "break-even" poker game is probably more the norm than my complete lack of any "game" whatsoever. This gives me hope to apply the many skills I've learned from this site and books over the last 5 or 6 months and not to quit.

It also highlights that even though I do think I'm addicted (playing almost every evening even when I know I shouldn't because of how tired I feel; spending a lot of time during work going over hands and tourneys to assess what I could have done better), it is not in a destructive way - my wife and kids come first no matter what and I'll continue to play low stake games until I have built up my bankroll and sustained a winning formula at my chosen stake.

Sorry to ramble but I do want to thank everyone who contributes to FTR for providing, not just tips on playing poker but also insights into personal issues to try and keep your head and life on track.