Small Stakes No-Limit Hold'em

I learned to play LHE during the golden age of on-line poker (2003-2006). I did well enough. I ran $25 into 10s of thousands and paid for school and living expenses while I did it. I then graduated and stopped playing for a little while as my life changed.

I am now settled back down, and starting with $300. It's what I have. The games are definitely tougher now than they were 3 years ago. the free money that was out there is a bit more scarce.

When I was playing in school, I worked my way up to 15/30 and occasionally 20/40 limit full tables, and 10/20 6-max. I did particularly well at 10/20 FR and 10/20 6-max, and was a winner at 15/30. I ran bad at 20/40 and had to drop back down, as I was cashing out form my BR at the time, I don;t think I was in over my head, but may have been, I didn't get to stick around enough to find out.

Also, for fun, I would dabble in NL, but never seriously studied the game. I would play $50 6-max at party, up through $500NL FR at pokerroom, and have winning records at 1/2 NL in live games at Foxwoods and Vegas. I do not have enough hands to be sure I am really a winner at these games, but the 1/2 live game seems pretty soft even today.

So, I have decided I want to be a no limit cash game player. My understanding is that these games are easier to beat the rake on, and are still soft in live settings. I live a fair distance from a live card room, so that would be limited to vacations and special trips. Most of my play would be on-line. I would like to start building a bankroll on-line to use for playing in live games as well.

I have started playing the $50NL FR at pokerstars, and the games are not the free money the $50NL 6-max games were at party all those years back. It took me a few losing sessions to realize I needed to change my tactics from what worked in the past. I am now floundering at just above break even in these games. Not enough hands to know for sure if I am beating them, or just running well enough to mitigate the fact that I am playing losing poker. I have definitely found some leaks in my game just reading the forum here this evening.

So, my questions to the general readership here:

1. Are the 1/2 NL 6-max on-line games beatable by a reasonably skilled player, or do you really need to be a top player to be winning in these games these days?

2. I am ordering PNLHE vol 1 tonight, and SSNLHE after I have read PNLHE. I will then begin my study to crush the 1/2 NL and hopefully have the tool sto play 5/10 NL live. Does this seem like a reasonable starting point, especially considering my history?

3. I am planning on playing at poker stars. Are there softer tables out there elsewhere?

4. Is this book selling so well that these games are going to be overrun with the successful students of these books before I can get up to speed?

5. Is there actually more money to be made and softer players in the NL game then the middle limit limit games, or should I return to limit?

Feel free to speculate as well as answer authoritatively on any of the questions.

Thanks for any insight.