Poker meta game: why does everyone copy the same strategy

honestly yeah i get why people wanna use the popular poker strategies, they're basically tested by so many people and analyzed to death. stuff like gto and those basic chart hands do give you a framework so you don’t get totally wrecked by wild moves. feels kinda safe in a game where luck can already smack you for doing nothing wrong.

but when literally everyone at a table is on the same page, it makes the whole game flat. all the hands play out like a textbook. no one’s getting creative. i always wonder if it just turns into who gets luckier with the cards, since nobody’s really mixing things up or making risky bluffs. reminds me of how in blackjack or even roulette, if everybody always just plays basic strategy, there’s not much “game” left.

is it still poker if everyone just follows the same flowchart, or do you think we need those weird plays to keep it real?