In order to reduce the number of cards in your hand & indicate your progress toward winning, melting entails placing legitimate card combinations on the table. In order to win and to strategically manipulate the game state, playersreal cash rummy should try to merge as soon as they have viable combinations ready. Paying attention to the melds that your opponents are forming is just as important as creating your own melds. Understanding the combinations they are using can help you predict their next moves & gain insight into their tactics. An opponent may be gathering cards from that suit if they lay down a run in hearts, for example, which could make you reevaluate which hearts to keep or discard.