The bottom line is, if you want to make serious money, take it seriously.

Do the homework. You can take shortcuts, bludge on bits of detail, but it will all cost you money in the longrun.

Have a consistent system. It doesn't matter if it is one that you follow in your head, on a formguide, or on a computer. Chopping and changing makes it impossible to see where you are heading. Which leads to:

Keep records. Keeping records is vital to know exactly where you sit. If you have a consistent system, and keep detailed records, even a slightly quirky system can find patterns that will return dividends.

If you arm yourself with these basics, you can then work your efforts towards where you should have the best chance of success, and then bet with confidence.