[nick__m]

  Most importantly, try not to pick winners. that's a fools errand. 

Trying to pick winner is fun tought and it's a great way to learn. I don't think that there is something wrong with having a few percentage (<10%) allocated to play the market like it's a casino.

But start with index and etf because if you start with individual stock you are already over 10% ;)

This series of articles https://www.investopedia.com/articles/basics/11/3-s-simple-i... gives a good overview of how to start investing. However, it don't cover country specific things like taxes and 401k.

Edit: Disclaimer: I know probablay less than throw8383833jj about finance so This is NOT financial advise.

[imtringued]

The problem is that uncontrolled emotions can lead to far worse losses than you could possibly gain so most people should just keep their urges in check and follow a boring strategy.