In my experience, the only sort of gaming can be impactful, and gaming is probably not the right word, is when a student has a full schedule of 5 Honors/AP classes, and keeps a PE class and a study hall so they can put all of their energy into striving for an A in each of the 5 difficult courses.
I have seen other students attempt 7 honors/AP courses and I think that is usually a mistake. Especially if they have significant ECs. There is a big risk of failure, and very little upside in doing this.