I played high stakes poker for a long time, did well over the years before getting into a regular lifestyle and real estate investing and I see a lot of similarities to poker strategy with real estate.

Although you want to play poker as well.. many people stop on round numbers I E I will only bid 200k and I am stopping you bid 200,500 and you get it.. 500 dollar does not make or break.the other thing you may consider if you want experience and you have capital is to simply partner with a home remodeler or builder.. this is what I do ..

I work as a poker dealer(tipped position) in Black Hawk, CO.

If you continue to hold a negative CF property, you are moving further away from breaking even...and the start of your profits.REI is a lot like playing Poker. 

Poker buddy....poker.

REI is just like Poker. ..not because I think of it as gambling.  

I am a poker dealer, but about to get out of that industry as I have just finished up with tech school for HVAC/R.  

I don't have any RE experience outside of reading various books and podcasts, but I can help others in online poker, Clash of Clans, Yu-gi-oh, Big 4 accounting, and watching my Niners tank for the #1 pick.

It's true, like poker, real estate is a grind, but so is a traditional job.

I am very liquid but I am a professional poker player which makes getting a loan tricky since they consider me 100% commission based.