IMHO, the players that have profited the most money over the long term have several key traits :
discipline { players like Gus Hanson, are not supposed to beat the game in the long run because they are to reckless, play to many
hands...and in fact , those types of players often bust, and have to borrow money to continue to play , if they did not have a
bankroll of millions of dollars}
ability to read
tells/ players
above average memory
do not go on tilt after a bad beat or cold run of cards
do not fall in love with
gambling itself...but appreciate the money aspect of winning { in other words, Stu Ungar, one of the greatest hold em/gin players that ever lived , who won 40 million dollars in his life, died broke...he was a GAMBLER at heart
ability to take a long break from the game, when bad beats and cold cards seem to hunt you down for a period of several months in a row.
and finally
HAVE ABOVE AVERAGE LUCK !
You can take a above average poker player, and if they have below average luck on a continious basis , they probably wont be a big winner in poker. Ive seen this happen firsthand. My brother played great poker, but was cursed with bad luck/ bad beats. After a few years of it, he finally quit playing altogether and never went back. For people like him, who deserve to win, but cannot overcome the bad luck elements, I think its best for them to quit the game .