I've always been a fan of the preflop raise. AQ in mp? We're raising. Pocket 8's on the button? Yeah let's open it up big. Thing is, at the loose (gambol!) table I play at, preflop raises mean nothing. Unless you shove, you're going to get several callers (and sometimes even if you do).

This table might seem like easy money, but it's not. The players there are not complete donks; in fact, many play tight-aggressive postflop play. The troubling feature is that mostly any two cards work preflop. I'll get into some examples.

*oh yeah and these (live) games are eight to ten people on most days.*

Example 1
A 3x raise UTG (meaningless, JT looks like the nuts at this loose table) and 4 limpers behind. I'm on the button with big slick offsuit (a certain favorite). From my starting stack of 50BB, I've grinded up to 70. avg stack still around 50BB. I re-raise to the size of the pot, 15BB (hoping to take all the dead money).

UTG and UTG+1 immediately call, the rest fold. (with like q8 and 9Ts)

Here's the thing- despite my best efforts, I simply cannot take any pots down preflop. If I'm confident in my hand, I like to raise after limpers. Many people at my table in fact do this- they make it a weakish 3BB or 4BB to go after 2-3 limpers (and no one folds).

My question is- is there really any point in these non-isolating "pot-sweeteners"? (the raise is just enlarging the pot, not isolating). Even my ball-busters with AQ, AK, pocket jacks get called down. The stacks are shallow enough too so that any sizeable raise preflop (like my 15 reraise) almost commits me to the pot.

In a game where I'm 100% confident in having the best postflop skills at the table (let's say hypothetically, though ... also in fact. I've played with these specific guys a TON). What does a raise accompish? No raises are big enough to achieve any isolation. Raising does not take "control" of the hand as many donks at the table are oblivious to anything beyond the two cards in front of them. Raising for value is somewhat nil... as 4 or 5 way pots offer little significant value to anyone... and the variance is HUGE. Also, any rediculously large raises (enough to isolate, possibly) pot commit everyone who pays the price. I'm wondering (and I'm hoping to be convinced otherwise):

Should I just stop raising preflop?

Note: Players are of course more likely to "get stacked" / "go broke" in raised v. unraised pots, but the difference is not huge IMO.

Plz help FTR!! remember its shallow stack poker. (50BB, not TOO much play...) Thanks for the help.