If a player knows that their hand is unlikely to get much better or if they run the risk of earning a lot of points from unmelded cards, dropping early can be beneficial. For example, rather than risk losing more points, it might be prudent to leave the game early if a player has a numberdimm slots of high-value cards with no obvious way to form melds. On the other hand, it is equally crucial to know when to hold onto a hand. It may be worthwhile to be patient if a player has multiple possible melds forming and only needs one or two more cards to finish them. One should weigh one's own hand as well as the actions of opponents when deciding whether to hold. You may be able to take advantage of the potential in your own hand if opponents are discarding cards that could help you or appear hesitant in their plays, which could mean that they are having trouble as well.
nik