Here in FL, the only live cash games offered are $1/2 and straight $2 Hold 'Em. I've played these games with mixed results. The problem I've encountered are that nearly all of the players are dreadful. I can usually find a way to exploit a weak player or two and take their money. But when every player is so bad, I feel like luck plays a bigger role in the outcome.

I can't help but feel that when 60 % of the players see the flop, and nobody folds when they should, that getting burned by the turn and river is inevitable. I can't count the number of times when my AA gets killed by 2/3 or 3/5 offsuit. People have zero comprehension of ideas like position and will keep playing if they have a longshot draw or bottom pair. The result is that few people make money in the longrun. Big pots are simply exchanged and the lucky person benefits.

I've argued with a friend who feels he can read up and learn how to play the game well. I tend to think that this sort of loose game is nothing but luck. In a game where multiple people will see the flop with literally any two cards, and where players see the hand through the river, that the element of skill is taken away. While the skillful player can do marginally well over the long run, the loose $1/2 game is extremely difficult to beat.

Edit- Just to add a few examples.

I finally pick up KK in late position. Early position raises to $4. I counter by re-raising to $6, he caps it at $8. He doesn't note that I haven't played a hand in about thirty minutes (excluding the blinds) and that his A/3 is very likely dominated or drawing to one overcard. After calling by bet on the ragged flop, he picks up an Ace on the turn. Realizing I've probably been outdrawn, I simply call to the river and look at his A/3. Another guy shows down his 7/9 offsuit with which he'd made one pair.

I can't for the life of me understand why people call multiple pre-flop raised with marginal and rag hands. When I say rag hand, I literally mean cards like 4/6 and 3/7 offsuit. After playing it for many hours, I agree with one of the dealers who calls it "bingo poker".

Stick to your game.

It's frustrating but the bad players are where the money comes from.

Could take a long while to work out in your favour though.

Someone said in another thread that it's the bad beats that prove the probability is working.

Where do you live in Florida? The players down south are especially bad, and it is very easy to make money.

Get SSH and Zen, best two books to have if you play low limit.

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I play in the West Palm Beach area. While I haven't played poker in many other places, I wouldn't argue that players are very poor in this area. The low level $1/2 game brings out many amatuers who have no business playing poker. Even the more regular players seem to be marginal at best.

I'm in the same area. The players down in Hollywood are horrible, as are the guys who play on the Princess.

Do you play the $1/2 or straight $2 games? And if so, how do you usually fare?

Poker is messed up in this state. I think $1/2, played at the level I see, is the most annoying game I've ever played. They do offer no-limit, multi-table tournaments that I've played in from time to time. Single table tournaments are a ripoff in WPB. The PB Kennel Club charges $13 out of the $45 buy-in for a cardroom fee. It's hardly possible to make a profit with so much going to the house.

I hope that someday they bring $2/4 or higher limits to the casinos. I'll enjoy watching all the terrible $1/2 players get demolished at higher limit poker.

I actually can't play in casinos yet, but my grandpa has and he has written down some of the hands he has seen. Also, my parents played on the Princess and I was told the horror stories.

My advice in this sort of game is to stop relying on hands like AA, KK and start looking for nut hand situations. Start playing more cards for high flushes and possible straights, which are way more likely to give you an almost unbreakable nut right on the flop/turn.

I suggest you buy one of phil hellmuths books about limit poker. He says he loves those kinda games. When you play at a table where everyone is playing so loose you should tighten your game up even more, phil suggest only to play 10 hands:
ak aq aa kk qq jj 1010 99 88 kq.. always raise pf with these and if they hit raise and reraise. Don't get so committed to your hand that you won't be able to fold when sum1 is representing a backdoor flush or straight.
if your at a more advanced level i suggest playing Ax suited and suited connectors.. call pf and if you hit a good draw you'll almost always get pots odds to call to the river
check raise loose oppenents often..