Besides having a larger bankroll of course...

Watching and reading as much as I do you see a lot of pro play on TV, etc. Obviously this is hugely edited and you don't see 90% of the play. You only see the hands where pros make a sick move or bluff because it provides for the best viewing.

However, there is a saying that final tables see a lot of familiar faces, which generally is true. But they still have to calcuate odds, make reads and find tells just as much as the average person. Obviously they have more experience at it, but what do you think they do that is different than what we low level players do to elevate themselves to the next level?

This could also be a two part question - if you are a former low stakes player that has grinded through the ranks, was there any small piece of your game that allowed you to get to the next level?