What i mean is, like i was a natural runner, does that mean i didnt have to run and work hard to rise to the top? No, i had to work out hard to be in the elite, but could i beat 90 percent of runners, non runners if i didnt work out that hard or at all, yes, so thats the natural part.
Some people are born with more fast twitch fibers than slow twitch fibers in their muscles. So ya got people who are better sprinters or endurance runners depending on what ya got.
So your “naturally” predisposed to be better at certain things based on that. But you can train your muscles to perform better at distance if your a sprinter and so on.
In poker, your not born with a certain genetic make up that makes u a natural at poker.
But you are born with a brain that may understand concepts, strategy, pot odds things like that better than someone else. That brain can also be trained just as the sprinter can be trained ot be a distance runner, it just takes more work.
Some people are just plain lucky. that doesnt mean they are a natural, it means they are damn lucky lol
I think i fall into the luck category. Before i played holdem, i won with regularity at our home poker games, whatever the game. same with board games.
Do i think its all luck that i win alot. no, i know i got some skillz lol But its a combination of being luckier than the average person, and using knowledge learned, and coupled with patience i think.
So where as i suck at math, i cant figure out my pot odds if my life depended on it, i make up for it with my lucky rabbits foot and patience and knowledge of the stuff i can figure out and then apply what works for me.
Im with floppy on the book stuff, i have quite a few and im the same, get a qaurter through them, get bored, rather learn with ojt.
i think some people are “naturally” better at learning things hands on, others are better at learning via books,or whatever method works best for them.
So to me there isnt a natural in poker, like there is a natural athlete, dancer, whatever. You might be a natural brainiac, but that doesnt garauntee a winning poker player.
Its the meshing of all the elements, intelligence or using it correctly, patience, psycology,adaptability,aggression ,instinct, so many different things and last but not least, luck.
A top runner can win races with just his fast twitch fibers and working out, and doesnt require all the elements that poker does for winning.
A runner never won a 100 meter dash by luck. Unless the other 8 people in the race all pulled a hamstrings at the same time, and that would be bad karma lol
Hence the diff in being a natural.