This is how to lose quickly
How do you think I got better at the game?
I did it by first finding nearly every possible way to lose...
I guess my forum topic was a bit misleading, I am actually looking for where i went wrong and how to correct it next time. i think the first bad move was 5...Bg2 instead of d4.
I'm not a big fan of the 2. c4 lines... I always play 2. g3 instead.
Having played 2. c4, though, I don't think 3. Nc3 was correct. You have a wide choice of good moves: 3. cxd4 heading into a Gruenfeld structure, or 3. d4 heading into a Queen's Gambit, or 3. g3 for a Reti formation... but my own choice would have been 3. b3 intending to fianchetto both Bishops, castle K-side, and then play either d3 and Nbd2; or d4 and Nc3, depending on what Black has been doing.
Check out Reti vs Bogulyubov, New York 1924:
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1030774
Ok, then I would say that 3. Nc3 is not your best move. If you play 2. c4 then you want to exchange the c-pawn for the d-pawn. Yet you hesitate and play Nc3. He can use that as an attacking point.
In a lot of openings is the move Nf3 after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 threat for black, because white can capture the pawn and black can not move the pawn.
In your game can black play that pawn whenever he wants. In some occasions might he even play d3, assuring that the bishops of white can not develop easily.
Alternatives which come to mind are 3. g3, 3. d4, 3. b3 and 3. e3. I would never play the latter two. Not 3. b3 because I see it as a passive way to defend c4 (unless I would like to play Bb2) and it more or less invites black to play 3. ... d4. Not e3, because there are other ways to deal with the threat d4 and it puts the dark squared bishop in a defensive role.
I would play cd5: at move 5 (you asked if you should play d4 at that point). After the fianchetto becomes the diagonal weaker if you hit the pawn, instead of leaving it stand on the diagonal. Why should you invite black to play e4 possibly?
Edit: now saw the post of blueemu. Two chess players, two different opinions about the same move. :-)
3.cxd5 Nxd5 4.d4 transposes to the Marshall Defense, which is known to be inferior for Black.
3.Nc3? is bad. Black can play 3...d4 and get a good reversed Benoni position where White is wasting time with the QN, e.g. 4.Nb5 c5 5.e3 Nc6
i guess i should also learn a little about an opening before trying it, instead of relying on books or databases, which is what i did. I did play Reti against my brother ( my butchered version) and i won!! An exciting win because i don't usually beat him. I liked the c4 because it is a little gambit. Interesting how a little mistake early can lead to trouble.