> I continually hear stories (friends of friends, of course) of people hitting it big and wonder if I just don't get it.
For every hitting it big, there is an opposite (and often larger) story of losing it big. Often by the same people -- except they are happy to tell you about their wins and don't talk so much about the losses.
It's not even a zero sum game -- the fees and spreads ("friction") are non-trivial.
