(Convert) Daf Yomi

Hello Rabbi. I am on the Daf Yomi track. We started about 5 years ago and will finish in less than two years.
Sometime this year I came to the conclusion that I do want to finish the course but definitely not start it again. It is impossible to study a page in depth and seriously in less than an hour. It is nice for the first time to get some basic Talmudic concepts and thinking. Moreover, there are pages that do not have much logical or halakhic value, if any, and perhaps it is worth focusing on those that do.
Therefore, I would like to ask the rabbi for his recommendation on which gemara to start studying Iyun with and in what form (first, last, etc.). It is true that there are still two years, but I do not expect to go from proficiency to Iyun in one day, and therefore I want to start soon and try to combine the two. I would also appreciate the rabbi’s recommendations regarding reference books, if any.
And maybe this is a separate question, but I’ll put it in front of you: How can one extract halacha from the Gemara and the Rishonim? There is always this separation where one studies the Gemara carefully and then closes, takes off the hat, and studies a clear Mishnah in order to know what to do.