Quick background:
I currently am playing .10/.25 NL and have about $1K spread over two online sites. Of course I want to move up as high as possible and learn whenver I play.

My dilemna is that one site that I play on has some TERRIBLE play and in return it changes the way I play. It seems that it is not profitable to raise in position with marginal or decent cards, C-bet, or raise in EP with hands such as small pairs or KQ because the games are filled with calling stations. The other site is much tighter and generally tougher and am able to employ a more LAGgish style, however I am only a slight winner there.

I feel that playing in these terrible games is profitable but will not allow me to progress and become a better player. I want to play the tougher games (and more interesting for that matter) to become a better player, but it is hard to pass up on these ABC easier games. Anybody ever have a similar situation? Any advice?

Thanks a lot.

Knowing the adaptations you are making and why is good experience in itself. What I think you miss most in the weak/passive games is developing hand reading skills. If youre goal is to move up, why not try moving to higher stakes at the softer site? It may be between the two games you currently play now.

Also, KQ, especially KQo, is not a great raising hand in EP in all but the tightest games. You are goingto have to give it up PF fairly often, and when it gets to see a flop runs into an A another 15% of the time. (Of course its an even worse calling hand!)

Learning how to play against bad players is one of the key skills a cash game player can have. Keep playing these games till you have the roll and are ready to move up.

A good player can easily transition their style oif play based on how the rest of the table is playing. Play your opponents not your cards.

QFT

Remember that there are no rote plays in poker that you should be employing all the time. Modify your play based on the opponents.

Part of it is not getting too many "levels" ahead of your opponents - either in your thinking or in your plays. The loose/passives are the easiest - though most boring - to play against. Make and hand and bet/bet/bet. If you're not already it would be great to practice multi-tabling in this environment since you only need to operate on level 1 and you can do that easily across multiple tables.

What is the soft site?

this particular poker cliche is total bs.

You need to think about what you are doing and why you are doing it.

The players you are playing with may be bad players but this is not the reason you are having problems with them.

You are having problems with them because they are unorthodox, and because you are simply acting and not thinking. These players have simply changed the nature of the puzzle.

Consider how these traits can help you.

If everybody calls when you raise with a small pocket pair then surely you have just been given good set mining value.
If flops are generally contested by many players then suited connectors up in value; hands like KJo, ATo and such go down in value because they only have any real power against one caller who folds to a continuation bet.

Basically if they are calling stations, play hands that could improve to have good showdown value and charge them big money when you have the hand.