The last four times I've applied for a credit card, I've struck out (these were pretty basic no-fee cards from Wells Fargo, Capitol One x2, and Amazon). I have 12 cards, the most recent being an Apple card opened in Dec '20 and before that a Chase Freedom Flex in Oct '20. I use 5-6 of these regularly. Available credit is $200k (1% usage). Credit score is around 810. Income is $220k. I have had 9 inquiries in the last 2 years.
Is it a matter of waiting for some of those inquiries to drop off? Nine does seem high, but I started getting denied back when I had 5. Should I close some of the cards I'm not using to bring down my available credit? Should I increase my usage?
What do the pro churners recommend?