In poker you are pretty much playing one way or the other at the table, but you should be doing both, and at different times. Many pros have a reputation for being a specific type of player, but actually they are mixing up their play and making their opponent misread their image.
One of the most important elements of poker is position. You must make decisions based on where you are seated and where the button is. If you are seated right after the button, you are in early position. This is where you are most likely throwing away most hands. You do not want to get involved with a mediocre hand like A10 and then have someone raise big after you where you can't call.
It is not about winning pots, it is about winning money.
I would rather keep throwing hands away pre-flop and on the flop for an hour or two and then get that killer hand that wins me an opponents bankroll then win a series of small pots.
If you are just winning a lot of small pots then you are probably seeing too many flops and those small pots eventually all get put back into the pot when you call to see the flops.
The accepted flop percentage for a player to see at a full table is between 15% and 25% depending on table dynamics and the player’s individual players. I vary my play throughout a session so I play tight at the beginning to see who is doing what and how I can take advantage of it.
Later, I will loosen up, take advantage of my tight image and try to steal a few pots until I get called on it. After that your opponent will not know what type of a hand you have.
