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I just have to say, the pokémon TCG and YGO are alike only in the respects that there are critters fighting and that both of them are card games. In pokémon, the whole point is the fight between the 'monsters'; in YGO you want to get past them and avoid those fights as far as possible in order to defeat your opponent as fast as possible.
The analogy between life points and prize cards is also very futile. Prize cards are taken one at a time (unless you've pulled off some sneaky bench damage combo) whereas lifepoints can all be lost in a single turn. As far as I know, the concept of OTKO is a very rare phenomenon in the pokémon TCG; in YGO it's commonplace. There's also the fact that YGO is in many ways far less predictable. In pokémon, you can see all the cards on your opponent's side and precisely what they do. In YGO, facedown cards and - in some cases - even the cards in your opponent's hand can turn you from strong lead to utter defeat before your opponent's turn even comes around.
Basically, YGO is far more fast-paced and leaves more room for headgames than pokémon. I won't deny that good pokémon players can manage headgames and such, but it's not nearly as encouraged. The TCGs are quite different. As for advice...ehh...start by getting acquainted with the most popular cards and strategies in competitive play. They are popular for very good reasons, and learning to understand those reasons is a very good way to start learning the game. Start taking a look at the CotD (Card of the Day) threads here; it's a nice way to find cards and if you're lucky you'll get some worthwhile comments on their strengths and weaknesses too. n_n
Oh, and get a crapload of energy cards. That's one of the things I really hate about the pokémon TCG; you can't do a thing without assembling a mountain of energy. xP
