[Hotel Detect]

I believe that learned skills and talent are two separate categories, both of which are essential to being successful on the WPT. The strategy part is what can be worked on, and it certainly helps if you are befriended by a successful tournament pro with whom you can discuss strategy.

Talent on the other hand is also essential and i believe stems from innate ability - the most important of which is perception of human behavior at the table. I believe that people that have always been sensative to the behavior of others, ie noticing the subtle rudeness of a waitress that the others in your party do not pick up on. I think that this skill cannot be learned necessarily (beyond text book study of tells). Anyway so i think it is both, and i also think its about 50/50.