Not much has changed in the current live poker meta. Yes, the average player may be better, but if you put in the consistent time to study/solvers/hand reviews, IMHO that puts you in the top 20 percentile. It's getting to the top 5-10 percentile that is killer.

Ultimately, like life, the only true edge you can control is game selection. Hence, that Rounders quote that rings eternal:

"Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker."