It could be advantageous to keep some cards that could eventually finish a meld in the early going of the game. However, your discard strategy may need to be modified as the game goes on and you learn morerummy your about your opponents' hands. In addition to improving your own hand, being careful about what you discard can keep your opponents from getting an advantage. Effectively reading your opponents is one of the most important rummy skills. Observing their playing habits, noting the cards they pick up and discard, and drawing conclusions about their possible strategies from these behaviors are all part of this.