I have now been a poker player for about 18 weeks, only online. As I play and talk read and listen I find that there is an awful lot more to the game other than just who's lucky enough to win.
I've been trying to fathom out where the "skill" in the game is. I know that "reading" players is part of it, looking for tells of strong / weak or indifferent holdings. As yet I can not work out how to do this. I have a few notes but they tend to be just how much was bet holding what cards. There isn't really anywhere I have found that can help explain. Or failing that somewhere to help you along a step at a time.
The other part to the skill I think, is in how cards are played. I have read on the forums about "bad beats", heard it on the tables as a hand goes down that the player thought should have won. But my thinking is that on a table of ten players each has a hand, there will be 5 cards in the centre for everyone. Elementry I know, now these hands will have an order from best to last that doesn't mean that the AA will always win but it will have its place somewhere. These placings will change as the cards are dealt. With no community cards the AA wins 23 suited or off will come last. All this changes when the FLOP is dealt 23J rainbow moves the 23 to the head of the table and the AA down. Again things change with the TURN and RIVER are dealt. So another key to playing or skill is knowing when you are in front. This is what is meant when the books go on about driving out the weaker hands when you have strong hands. To do this you need to know your opponents. So the two skills go together. Without both you are just playing a game of luck so you can't cry when you lose......
What would be a good idea would be a site, forum, group or such like that had people that could assist you. Perhaps sit in while you play games and help you in learning to read players. Not doing all the work for you but pointing you in the right directions. A teacher of sorts. To help players get into the game, but I suppose this won't happen as they would rather keep fleacing the "fish" when they come along. But wouldn't a better player stay around longer perhaps give the opportunity to win more or improve your game!!!

Oh well never mind no one reads these so it doesn't really matter what I think does it :)