anyone successful at poker without studying constantly
I know a guy at the local casino who claims he’s been crushing the poker tables for years, barely ever reading a single book or watching any training videos. He just sits, talks, orders drinks, trusts his gut and counts chips at the end of the night. The rest of us seem to live on hand replays and those late-night study binges hoping to pick apart every leak. I’m not sure if he’s just running good or there’s some low-key wisdom in not overthinking every river decision.
I play a fair bit of roulette and sports on the side, and I see some crossover - people win big with no deep system sometimes and the math guys eat their heart out for months. Makes me wonder if poker, at a certain level, lets the instinct folks get by, or if variance just crowns a few lucky ones before the grind takes its toll. Curious if anyone here keeps winning long term without turning it into homework every week.
Seeing this pattern in sports betting too. Someone goes on a heater calling underdog parlays, next month they’re scrambling for another score. That “just vibes” energy works in short bursts, but I rarely see it outpace variance year after year.
Only exception I’ve spotted, folks who pick one small edge, like exploiting bad prop lines, and have the patience to grind it. No big study routine, just showing up steady and not forcing plays when it’s dry.