[sweetjazz]

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Sorry, to clarify, of course you should pay VERY close attention to how your competition is playing. What i meant by "don't concern yourself with their play" is see how they are adapting, and then adapt better yourself. Don't be content to say, "this guy got better, my edge is now smaller against him." Make it bigger again.

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Cool, that is what I thought you meant but just wanted to make sure. I agree with your approach to the game. It is a sad reality that each time you improve your game to the "next level" it is harder than the time before. I think that's the essence of the tired cliche, "Poker is a hard way to make an easy living."

So I think you are right in your advice, and I also think many people won't follow it. You'll see a lot of players go pro because they can beat a certain limit which makes them X per year and then stagnate and try to keep milking that game for X per year. Within a few years, they'll find that they are only making Y per year and in some cases be forced to either jeopardize their bankroll or lower their standard of living to compensate for the reduced earn.