Think of poker as a bell curve, where the better decisions you make, the more likely your win rate will be higher than those who make more mistakes on the left side. There will be a very small percentage of players on the right edge of the curve who have profited the most from their decisions, e.g., six figures or more in lifetime profit. Aside from millions of hand decisions, these outliers have also made many optimal decisions in game selection, bankroll management, tilt management, mindset and other skills.
When money is taken out of the poker economy, such as PokerStars increasing the rake or more players buying into tournaments with 30% tax/rake, the entire curve shifts to the left so players lose more money. When pros' egos makes them keep playing against better pros, they can lose even more money than casual players and go busto, e.g., Gus Hansen, Brad Booth, and Shak.
sard1010;399965 wroteHow can a pro profit from a pro? If they all know all the "tricks," isn't the only think left really reading ability and I guess table presence/confidence/swagger/intimidation?
What makes a REALLY good player REALLY good? Maybe I'm reaching too high at this point in my young poker "career," but I wouldn't mind at least a basic understanding of what makes a player able to make a living from poker.
