I played my first hand of poker at the beginning of 2021 when I got a VR headset and a friend said to check out PokerStars VR among other games. I assumed I would play it once cause poker honestly seemed boring and I didn't understand why people watched or played it. Boy was I wrong. I instantly fell in love with the game and started playing a lot of fake money poker and watching a ton of professional poker online. Outside of my career, my life essentially became poker because I enjoyed it so much and was fascinated by all aspects of the game. After about a year of fake money poker I started playing online for real money and was pleasantly surprised that my skills were seemingly holding up. I share all this because beyond spending hours a day watching poker, playing fake money NLH and about 6 months of playing for real money online, I haven't spent any time actually "studying" the game as I see so many pros and people on here discussing.

In a year and a half I went from not knowing what a flush was to winning a $15 + 1.50 online tournament and getting to the final table 4 other times in low stakes MTTs (I know that isn't much to brag about but I'm proud of how far I've come.)

Since I’ve mostly just played and watched others play, I get pretty lost when people/commentators bring up things like “EV,” “balancing your range,” "tracking hands" etc. I know there is a lot to learn since I’m still a beginner but I’m not really sure where to start or what to do. What are some things I can do/learn/read to really start to take my game to the next level?

Also, as someone who started playing poker during the pandemic and has only ever played online, is there benefit to playing live poker or a reason I should start trying to play live vs online?

I’m 25 with a steady job, no debt, money saved/invested and I love poker so I want to give playing at least semi-professionally a go. I don’t however want to go out there lookin like a fish so I’m ready to put in the hours necessary to get to the next level but I need some help knowing what I should do with those hours. Any input would be appreciated.

TL;DR I'm a beginner who is seeing early success in low stakes online MTTs and cash games. I learned to play just from watching a ton and playing hands. What are some things I can do to study and take my game to the next level?

Hey, thanks for the introduction! I wouldn't worry too much about advanced poker concepts at this stage. I suggest dedicating a number of hours (2-4?) a week studying fundamental concepts. By doing this regularly, combined with playing and implementing what you're learning, you will improve quickly and earn a decent side income in low stakes games.

Asking questions on forums is a great place to start and doesn't cost anything!

You could also sign up to some of the training video memberships that exist. Most of them offer monthly or annual subscriptions for reasonable price. You can cherry pick the videos that are appropriate for you. Then it's just a case of taking lots of notes and keeping nearby. Here are some below:

https://www.runitonce.com/poker-training/videos/
https://texasholdemquestions.com/poker-training-videos/
https://www.tournamentpokeredge.com/videos/

If you're more of a studier, than taking a course is probably going to more efficient use of your time. There's literally loads of poker courses available online. The prices can range quite widely, but here are some great courses for you to check out:

https://texasholdemquestions.com/com...on-bet-course/
https://www.masterclass.com/classes/...-teaches-poker
https://www.masterclass.com/classes/...poker-strategy
https://www.raiseyouredge.com/tourna...terclass-poker

Live poker is generally softer than online so once you're comfortable online and mastered the fundamentals, definitely give live poker a try, particularly as it's more fun!

Good Luck!

If playing online, the best thing you can do is get yourself a tracking software tool like Pokertracker. It will help you identify leaks in your game and you can also use information against your opponents.

Solver work

Look at RYE, Pairdd and workbooks of Splitsuit. I all brings something nice to develop your game.... Also invest in pokertracker to analyse your game and stats.... GL GL