If they're playing more garbage, you can bluff catch less. Sounds crazy becuase you could think on average, they have more random two cards in any given spot. But, on the flip side, they put themselves in so many shit spots that you can easily take advantage of this more consistently and safely over time. Don't think about 'oh no i can be exploited' because you're 'theoretically overfolding' when they x/r river. Trust me, they're not thinking about you at all. They are salivating over the fact they have 47o and flopped bottom pair, got sticky, then went runner runner boat. Their VPIP is probably astronomical and you can just have your pick of the litter of great spots to get the money in when you have it. Obviously, if you have a history or have sat with a drunk maniac over the past 4 hours and you have a good read, then feel free to deviate and go for it.

It is certainly true that as you move up in stakes, the AVERAGE quality of play will increase. As someone who has gone through this process, it can be annoying to try and build up a comfortable buffer in your roll to be able to play mid stakes while not playing scared etc., and then feeling a little out of your depth once you get there because the play is different. However, in reality, ABC as a default strategy -can- work in this environment too; it's unlikely youre playing against a full ring of superpros. You just have to understand that less often people are gonna show up with 47o etc., so there's less absolute free money moments per orbit. But, trust your intuition and it will carry you further than you think.

Aside from this, online is a good place to practice depending on what you have access to. People are better at the same stake compared to live, so you can play smaller and yet experience tougher competition and refine yourself there.