Rummy players can still gain from keeping track of which cards have been played & which are still in the deck, even though standard card counting strategies used in games like blackjack might not be applirummy modercable in this context. Through mental note-taking of the cards that opponents have picked up or discarded, players can make better decisions regarding their own discards and draws. This knowledge enables players to anticipate more accurately which cards will be available later in the game and keeps them from throwing away cards that might help their opponents. In rummy, hand control is equally important.