Marginal hand troubles...(and my return to live NLHE)

First off, hello to everybody! It's been a long time since I've posted on here as I'm still on vacation from online poker (damn you, World of Warcraft ).

I've recently started playing in what might be the loosest live NLHE game I've ever seen. $40 max buy-in, .5/1 blinds. Runs from about 9 at night to 2-3 in the a.m. A friend of mine who used to be comparable in skill to me before I quit poker destroys this game. DESTROYS it. His worst night over the last several months has been -$80, and he averages somewhere around +$300 a session, as unbelievable as that seems at those low stakes.

It's a camper's dream come true. ANY pre-flop raise that isn't ridiculous gets multiple callers. Table image doesn't matter...the first 2 weeks I play there I get made fun of all night for playing super tight, but nobody starts folding to my pre-flop raises. 2 great sessions, about +$400 combined.

My friend outperforms me both nights. We chat the day after the 2nd session, and he convinces me that I'm playing too tight. He claims that playing more hands is the way to go, even though camping certainly works. He feels the opposition is SO bad that it is just too easy to outplay people after the flop. He feels that I'm not playing enough marginal hands. He plays a LOT more hands than I do, and will even throw in the odd junk hand (Kx suited from late position, etc.) I can't bring myself to play junk, but I vow to loosen up next session.

Next session, I come out much looser and the table notices right away. I also get off to a great start. Halfway through my session I'm at +$220 and cruising. Then, I lose a HUGE pot when my KK gets sucked out on by a flush draw. It's all downhill from there as I go broke off of marginal hands...

I raise QJo from late position and hit my Q on the flop. I get called down to the river by KQo by a passive player

I raise 77 from late position, and 22 calls and makes a set on me. The low flop traps me since I have an overpair, but I get away from the hand before I go broke.

I raise AJo from mid-late position, get called, and hit my J on the flop. KK check-raises me and pot odds force a call. Ouch again, I'm broke.

I was a bit bitter over the QJ and AJ hands since I don't usually play a lot of trash. My friend was probably right though...I probably do need to play some of those hands at that table (full ring 10 man), at least when I'm in position.

If you were playing at a table like this, how would you approach marginal hands? What trash will you limp, what will you raise, and how good a position do you need to play them? Remember, we're talking about a mostly loose, passive table although there are a couple wildcats who like to raise pre-flop with just about anything. A pre-flop raise is nearly always called by somebody regardless of table image.

I feel a bit silly making a post about something so basic, but I have to admit the rust is heavy on my poker game. Help me shake it off, old friends.

P.S. Has anybody qualified for WSOP since I've been gone? Just curious.

Dont play marginal high cards like AJ, KT, QT, QJ, KJ, KQ, etc oop. Fold these hands in early position, limp or blindsteal with them in late position. That is the one sure way to avoid those nasty domination probelms like the one you described with QJ.

If the table is really as loose as you say it is, replace these marginal broadway hands with drawing hands. Suited connectors, suited gappers, even suited two gappers such as T7s and Axs go way up in value. Play these hands for a limp/value raise from mid/late position.

Id much rather be in a hand with 57s than with QTs...

EDIT: PS we had a FTR member place 138th in WSOP congrats to him.