I began to play poker and as a beginner I won a lot of things (it ever happens), so as more I learned more I lost. I really was concentrating all my energy on being a better player, but I was in a cicle with "Playing >> Losing >> Studying >> Playing...". After losing a lot of money and a lot of time a lot of times even having a reazonable knowledge about the game, I've decided in first place stoping to waste money, because of this I began to play freerolls (Free tournaments of poker). People that know freerolls are scared on playing them, they say that playing them is impossible because freeroll players use one of the most important weapons of poker: The agressivity, they are suicide agressive players level. But freerolls give to you for free the first trainning: The patience (it's a profit). The second thing is that you can earn real money without put money in the game, you earn cents most of times, when you earn off course, but is better than losing tens of dollars maybe hundreds, then my money began to reverse his flow. Now I play cheapper games but I am satisfied because I can hit my chest and say "I am a winner player".
Well, congratulations on your transformation with your poker playing experience, the experience is not quite different from what most of us have as it regards to other activities that involved skills, like trading both crypto and forex.
Some start and make a lot of winnings in their first few trades, they feel that they have arrived and seen opportunity to make good money, only for the to later realize that the more they are getting deeper and learning about the stuff, they more they are losing money instead of winning, this is usually where love and passion comes in handy.
I personally have never played poker before, so in other words, I can simply say that I don't know how to play the game yet, but I do hope to find time to learn not long from now, since I personally love games that have to do with skill, and hopefully, when I start, i will think about your experience you shared here, and make good use of it.