Rummy Tips: Use a Card’s Exit Value
Players often ask how useful a card might become, but also ask how safely it could leave. Exit value describes the quality of a card as a future discard. A card with a clear exit can be held briefly without trapping the hand.
To estimate exit value, ask whether the card is isolated, expensive, or likely to complete a connection before the hand ends. A low-value isolated card may have a good exit even if it has no immediate use. A flexible card can have a poor exit when discarding it would reveal a useful route or leave an awkward remainder.
Compare candidate cards in pairs. Which one has more believable entries, and which one has the safer exit if nothing improves? A balanced card can be better than a dazzling card that must succeed immediately. Exit value changes as the hand develops, so recheck it after an important draw. Use the idea as a prompt, not a rigid score.
