Players have to be very aware of the cards that their opponents are discarding so they can quickly decide which cards to keep and which to discard. Because players have to keep track of which cards are in play and which have been discarderummy noveld, this helps with memory & concentration. Because players must choose which cards to keep and which to discard in order to form sets & runs in their hand, rummy also fosters strategic thinking skills. In order to create winning card combinations in this game, players must plan ahead and predict the actions of their rivals. This enhances one's capacity for forward planning and strategic thinking. There are social advantages to playing Rummy in addition to cognitive ones.