This is a response to the article over at Suited Aces of the same name.
Danny always believed that he had some poker skill, but not what it takes to beat the highest stakes games. Now that he plays high stakes poker, Danny asks, "Why was I wrong? Why did I feel like I didn't have the potential to be the best? Besides the obvious underinflated self esteem, a lot of it had to do with misguided views on what it takes to be a good poker player."
It's a very good article, and I encourage everyone to read it over on the Suited Aces blog. The way I interpret his points is that there are two "leaps of faith" that you have to take to be a world-class poker player.
First, you have to have faith in the theory of poker. You have to believe that even if a player showed up with aces the last time you three-bet him, it doesn't mean it was a bad three-bet. You have to be able to see mistakes for what they are, and nothing more. Mistakes can be large or small, and if you don't exploit them, they'll accidentally (unknowingly) exploit you. Danny specifically makes the point that you've got to integrate ranges into your decisions.
Second, he argues that it's important to understand people and get inside their heads. This will teach you to take your knowledge about theory and ranges, take a leap of faith, and throw it all out the window in order to make better decisions.
I would argue that there's a third requirement: dedication. The most successful players I know are the players who are disciplined and level-headed. They set goals and meet them. They structure their schedules to make time, not only for poker, but for hand reviews, videos, and coaching sessions.
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