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What have you found works best? What does not work? I guess I am looking for a sort of "cheat sheet" if you will. If that even exists.
"Cheat sheet" does not exist! And if you are trying to cheat it's not nice, to not mention it's illegal, you should know that.
There is no universal answer to what works and what doesn't work in gambling, different personalities/skills/experiences, and different bankrolls make each player unique in some way. So if it works for one, it doesn't necessarily mean that it will work for others... and if it's not working for many it doesn't mean it will not work for you. I guess you need to try it and find out for yourself what's the best for you, what games suit your personality and your skills and knowledge. By trying things around you gain experience, there are no shortcuts.
I agree with you there is no universal answer to that question but for beginners in gambling it's strongly recommended to favour games with low volatility, and low house edge too. And to start with a small bank roll and small stakes (or even fun money) to learn how to play and to test the games.
Choose a casino with low house edge. Wager as little as possible, so a few high risk bets instead of many low risk bets. Do the math. The more you wager, the more you lose on average because of the house edge.
Know when to stop. Don't chase losses.
If you want to win prizes from tournaments, interesting bonuses and to rank up, in order to get a positive EV unfortunately you need to wager a lot sometimes.