If another player goes out, this calculated move can prevent you from accruing a lot of penalty points. It takes careful consideration of the potential of your hand & the game's current situation to know when to drop. To avoid being caught with thossatta..e cards when an opponent declares victory, it might be prudent to drop early if you find yourself holding multiple high-value cards that don't contribute to any possible melds. On the other hand, it might be worthwhile to wait for a turn or two if you have a few promising combinations but are still awaiting key cards to complete them. The strength of your hand and your assessment of your opponents' meld formation progress should both be taken into consideration when deciding whether to drop.
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