Hey guys. I'm fairly knew to poker and very new to this site ... I would like to start branching out and learning other variations of the game. I have the basics of NLHE and PLO covered. My question is can I play games like stud and horse and hi-lo type games online for play money and still learn the basics or am I better to play at super micro stakes to get a real feel for it? The only worry I have is that ppl don't actually "play" the game for play money and that it may be counter productive ?? Also, any tips on what games are better then others ? And are there any Variations that can hone a particular skill on your NLHE game? Thanks guys!

I think play money games CAN be used for learning the different poker variants. At least you'll get the idea of what sort of hands win at showdown. (Indeed, since folding doesn't happen so often in play money games, the winning hand will often be stronger than it would be in a real money game).
I've not yet got round to trying $2 PLO or Stud, but I hear that they are ridiculously soft. Playing some freeroll tourneys will no doubt give you some experience of the formats without risk.

FWIW, I remember the first time I played Omahi Hi/Lo was in a freeroll tournament I'd accidentally satellited myself into. I literally didn't even know the rules when the tourney started, but I quickly checked google, and played ultra nitty for the first few levels. It turned out the other players were even worse than me, and I actually ended up cashing!

Welcome

Play money games are good for learning the mechanics of the game, eg that (as you'd know) you must play exactly 2 cards in your hand in plo and what beats what in razz etc

Just don't expect to learn much about strategy from play money games ldo