I have studied Sklanskis numbers and Independent Chip Model and understand math through differential equasions. Yes all the math is a bonus, but to say you can not win or should not play until you understand all of this is a bit narrow. I do agree with the statement that playing alone is not enough, read books, network with other players, and above all use
rakeback forums, there are a lot of good people here with a passion and knowledge for poker.
Poker is a game of math and I use it extensively, but more so it is a game of people. Understanding the underlying math from pot odds to payoff risk / reward calculations does indeed help, but is not the be all end all to winning at poker. Math tolerances are quite low in the long run as odds approach trueness, but concrete math can not account for flexible human response. There are many successful poker players who can not preform a simple algebra equasion, but they know how to read a player and his/her actions and they will take advantage of them, regardless of math knowledge.
Thanks for the feedback.