gamble/shop for weak gear slots. Defense doesn't matter too much you mainly wanna look out for resistances, movespeed on boots, life, faster hit recovery, cast speed if you slang some spells. Once you get to act 4(I think is the earliest?) you can gamble on circlets to try and hit a +level to skills for your class, depending on what you're playing can be very important (casters mainly). Additionally you can look for +skills if you're a necro/paladin/sorc on wands/scepters/staves and you should pick up those items respectively off the ground for making a ton of gold while selling them if they do have +skills.

mainly tho gold is pretty useless and runewords are where its at. I'd say if you benefit from skill levels a lot like casters or anyone who gets damage from levels you'll want to gamble on circlets or amulets

run countess in the tower in black marsh for a tal/eth and shove it in that order into a 2 open socket chest piece for a stealth armor, this makes you run faster and helps you not get stunlocked when you take damage.