The Stock Market is legalized gambling when played by short sellers, day traders, etc.
I used to play the game, but it was really cramping my party lifestyle, so, after asking around, I just went with the tried and true: an S&P 500 mutual fund and dollar-cost averaging (meaning a set amount is removed from my paycheck for investment. I never see it). OTOH, because I was a good saver, when the Great Recession hit, I doubled down for several months knowing it'd eventually go back up.
My ex was a spendthrift. No Fault Divorce laws say she gets half of what was left, meaning half my mutual funds. By doubling down when the market was low and riding out the recession, I made back everything she got plus some.
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dollarcostaveraging.asp
What Is Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA)?
Dollar-cost averaging (DCA) is an investment strategy in which an investor divides up the total amount to be invested across periodic purchases of a target asset in an effort to reduce the impact of volatility on the overall purchase. The purchases occur regardless of the asset's price and at regular intervals. In effect, this strategy removes much of the detailed work of attempting to time the market in order to make purchases of equities at the best prices. Dollar-cost averaging is also known as the constant dollar plan.