1) do sorcery deal damage before combat and remove enemy creatures before combat starts if the card says to deal damage?

2) to me it seems the only reason to block a single attacker with multiple blockers if the attacker doesn't have trample is to ensure that you will kill it. Am I correct in this or is there more to it?

3) is it a good idea to start deck building with a single mana type? I figure this way my deck will not only be faster but I'll also learn the tropes of each mana.

4) what's the easiest way to manage counters? I don't have any counter cards, and it's a little bit of a hassle at times.

5) do I get priority after each instant spell my opponent plays during combat, or do I get priority after he has played all his instants at that phase of the turn? If I want to counter one of his instants can I do that immediately after he plays that card or do I have to wait till he plays all his cards, and then play my instant counter letting him know which one I'm countering?

6) basically I need to leave stuff untapped to be able to tap it at the combat phase to cast instants and such right?

7) first strike creatures deal and resolve damage first if I'm not mistaken? They remove damaged creatures before they have a chance to block or attack? Does that mean that they attack before blockers are declared? How does that work with the fact that you can't attack creatures directly?

Thanks in advance guys. I'll be posting more questions as I continue to learn.