Yaniv

1. The Classic Rules

First you must learn the basics of Yaniv. The game’s rich history has resulted in many different rule variations. Although each version is slightly different, they share essential qualities. We’re going to teach you a version we call “House Rules.” These rules are summarized just below and then explained in more detail. Once you play a few rounds with these rules, we’ll show you how to add your own.

SUMMARY OF RULES
1. EVERYONE IS DEALT 5 CARDS.
2. YOU CAN CALL YANIV AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR TURN IF THE TOTAL POINT VALUE OF YOUR HAND IS 5 OR LESS.
3. YOU CAN ADD-ON TO STRAIGHTS.
4. YOU CAN ADD-ON TO SETS.
5. YOU CAN SLAP-DOWN ON CARDS YOU JUST PLAYED.
6. YOU CAN SLAP-DOWN ON CARDS OTHER PLAYERS PLAY.
7. JOKERS COUNT AS 0 AND ARE WILD.
8. THE KING OF HEARTS COUNTS AS 0.
9. THE WINNER DEALS AND THE PLAYER TO THEIR LEFT STARTS.

Objective

The game’s objective is to be the last player to score an excess of 200 points.

In each round of the game, players try to score as few points as possible by calling Yaniv.

Gameplay

You need one deck of standard face cards and at least two warm bodies to enjoy Yaniv. Grab a pen or pencil or device to keep score.

The game is divided into rounds. A round ends when one of the players calls Yaniv. At the end of each round, the sum of each player’s hand is taken and added to their scores from previous rounds. When a player’s score exceeds 200, she is out of the game and play continues until one player, the winner, remains.

To begin, choose a dealer. Each player is then dealt five cards. The rest of the cards are placed in a stack face down in the center of all the players. This is the deck. The top card is turned face-up and placed next to the deck as the discard pile. After each round, the winner shuffles and deals, and the player to his or her left goes first. If the deck runs out, shuffle the discard pile and turn over. Continue play by drawing from this stack.

Scoring

Fig. 1

22 points:
10 (Q) + 6 + 4 + 2

Six points:
3 + 3 + 0 (joker) +
0 (K of hearts)

Four points:
(If player didn’t call Yaniv)

Cards are scored as follows: face cards (jack, queen, king) count as 10 points (except for the king of hearts which counts as zero), cards 2–10 count as their face value, aces count as one and jokers as zero.

If the player with the lowest total card point value of cards calls Yaniv, he receives zero points. The other players receive points equal to the sum of the cards they hold.

Calling yaniv

If a player has fewer than five points in her hand at the beginning of her turn, she can ‘call Yaniv’ by saying the word Yaniv aloud. Calling Yaniv ends play for the round. A player cannot call Yaniv after laying down or picking up a card during their turn or after playing cards out of turn (see Add-ons). If you successfully call Yaniv, meaning that your card point total is lower than any other player’s, your score for that round is zero.

Playing a turn

A turn consists of either laying down and picking up cards or calling Yaniv.

When not calling Yaniv, a player first lays down a single card, a set, or a straight. He then picks up a card, either from the top of the deck or from the top of the discard pile. The cards he laid down are placed face-up on the discard pile, his turn is over, and the player to the left begins her turn.

If a set or straight is played, the next player may draw either the top or bottom card of the set or straight from the discard pile instead of taking a card from the top of the deck.

It is important to note that even when a player lays down more than one card, she only picks up one card. Collecting and laying down sets and straights thus becomes an important goal in each round. While it is possible to get a low score with a full hand of five cards, getting that score with one or two cards is much easier.

Calling Assaf

If the points in your hand are equal to or less than the amount of points in the hand of the player that called Yaniv, you can ‘call Assaf’ by saying the word Assaf aloud. The player that called Yaniv is punished with 30 points for that round and the player that called Assaf receives zero points.

If more than one player can call Assaf, the player who called Yaniv receives 30 points for calling Yaniv and 20 points for each other player with a lower score. The player with the lowest hand value receives zero points and every other player receives the value of the points in their hand. If two players share the lowest total score, each receives zero points.

Sets

Fig. 2

A set of two.

A set of three.

A set of four.

A set is made up of two or more cards of the same face value.

Straights

Fig. 3

A straight of three (the smallest playable straight).

A straight of four.

A straight of five.

A straight is made up of three or more cards in sequence, all of the same suit. In a straight, aces are always low and cannot be placed after a king.

Jokers

Fig. 4

A straight of three using the joker.

A straight of three playing the joker on the outside.

A straight of four using the joker.

At the end of the round, a joker scores zero points.

A joker can be used as a 'wild' card to complete a straight or set.

It is important to note that when a joker is played on either end of a straight or on the outside of a set, the next player can pick the joker up from the discard pile.

Slap-downs

Fig. 5a

This player just played a 6 and drew another 6 off the top of the deck.

The deck.

Fig. 5b

The player then quickly “slaps” his 6 on top of the other 6 before the next player begins their turn.

The deck.

If a player draws a card of the same value as the card he just played, he can then play that card right away as long as the next player has not begun her turn. This play is called a slap-down. After executing a slap-down, a player does not draw another card.

Add-ons

Fig. 6a

This player just played two 4s and picked up a 10 from the top of the deck.

This player has the other two 4s in his hand.

The deck.

It is now this player’s turn.

Fig. 6b

This player just played two 4s and picked up a 10 from the top of the deck.

This player adds their two 4s to the others before the next player can begin their turn.

The deck.

It is still this player’s turn. He or she plays as if the 4s were the cards discarded.

If a player plays a straight and any other player has a card (or cards) that would build on the straight, they can play those cards out of turn if done before the next player begins their turn.

If a player plays a set of two or three cards, and any other player has the cards that would complete that set (i.e. make it a set of four cards with the same value) he or she can play those cards out of turn if done before the next player begins their turn.

After executing an add-on, a player does not have to draw a card. It is possible to add-on to cards when it is your turn, after which you play your turn normally, (laying down another card, etc.).

2. BONUS RULES

Try adding some of these rules to the classic game.

Sevens

When a player plays any 7 card, all other players must draw a card from the top of the deck. In the event that multiple 7s are played (two, three, or four of-a-kind, etc.), a card is drawn for each seven played.

The same rule applies if a straight containing a seven is played.

Spy

When a player plays the queen of diamonds, every other player must show him their cards.

Cell Division

Fig. 7a

This player plays her 6s.

The deck.

Singles pile.

Fig. 7b

A new discard pile is created for two card straights or sets next to the original discard pile.

The deck.

Singles pile.

NEW doubles pile.

Fig. 7c

This player must take a card from the top of the deck (unless Osmosis is in effect - see below). The 10 is available for the next player to play one-of-a-kind.

It is now this player's turn.

The deck.

Singles pile.

Doubles pile.

Fig. 7d

This player drew a queen. Her turn is over.

This player lays his 4s in the two card discard pile. She can then draw a 6 from that pile.

The deck.

Singles pile.

Doubles pile.

When more than one card (set of two, straights, etc.) is first played, a new discard pile is created for that specific amount of cards. Every player that then plays that amount of cards plays those cards on that pile and must draw from the top of the deck. For example, if a player plays three cards in the same turn, those cards go into a pile for three-card plays and, when other players play three cards at a time, they place those cards on the same pile.

Osmosis

Fig. 8a

This player plays her 6s.

The deck.

Singles pile.

Fig. 8b

A new discard pile is created for two cards next to the original discard pile.

The deck.

Singles pile.

Doubles pile.

Fig. 8c

With Osmosis, that player can then pick up the 8 from the single draw pile.

The deck.

Singles pile.

Doubles pile.

Similar to Cell Division, a pile is created for each new group of cards. With Osmosis, though, any player can draw from, add-on, and slap-down on any pile.

Fifths Disease

Fig. 9a

This player plays the 5 of diamonds onto the two card discard pile.

The deck.

Singles pile.

Doubles pile.

Fig. 9b

Players can no longer lay two cards down at a time. The player’s normal turn now begins.

The deck.

Singles pile.

Doubles pile.

When Cell Division is in effect, before a player’s normal turn, he or she can play the 5 of diamonds on an any pile other than the original discard pile to kill the action on that pile. Once the 5 of diamonds is played on a pile, players can no longer play on it or draw from it for the rest of the round.

Double-edged sword

When a player plays a black 8, all players combine their cards together into a new deck that is then shuffled and re-dealt by the player who played the 8. Deal starts with the player on his or her left. Players may not all have the same number of cards when finished.

Crazy queens

When a queen is played, all other players put their cards face down on the table without re-shuffling. The player who played the queen then picks a target player and passes that player a card of their choice from his or her hand and blindly picks one of the cards out from their hand. Everyone may then pick up their hands and the player begins their normal turn.

Waterfall

Fig. 10a

This player passes his unsuited straight to the player on his left.

This player has the other two 4s in his hand.

The deck.

It is now this player’s turn.

Fig. 10b

This player has the other two 4s in his hand.

The deck.

This player chooses the queen and passes the rest to the next player.

This player is left to choose between the remaining cards.

Fig. 10c

The pass continues until the initiator ends up with the last card.

The deck.

At the beginning of his or her turn, if a player has an unsuited straight that contains as many cards as there are players in the game (i.e. a straight of four in a four player game, three in a three player game, etc.), they can pass those cards to the player on his or her left. That player then chooses which card he or she wants and passes the remaining cards from the straight to the next player and so on until the player who initiated the waterfall ends up with the last remaining card.

That player then begins his or her normal turn.

Mathematician

Players can add-on to or slap-down on any card discarded if that card’s value is a multiple of the value of the card laid. For example, if a 3 is discarded, another player may lay down a 6 or a 9 before the next player’s turn begins. This rule does not apply if a set or straight is played.

Southern hemisphere

Playing a 9 reverses the direction of play.

Wormhole

If a player ends the round with exactly 41 points in her hand, she is awarded zero points for the round and the player calling Yaniv is automatically Assaffed. If it is the beginning of her turn, she may call Yaniv with 41 and it acts as zero points.

Piñata

When an 3 is played, a card from the top of the deck is set aside, face down. The next player to play an 3 picks up the card.

Landmine

The 2 of spades is worth 20 points only if the player holding it at the end of the round did not call Yaniv.

Keep Reading: Random Rules

3. Random rule generator

The greatest thing about Yaniv is that the rules are flexible. There are certain elements that each game should have, but the way each element is presented can be changed. For example, each player should be dealt cards, but the amount of cards can change to whatever number you want.

The rule generator below displays the classic rules by default. Variable elements look like THIS and you can click the Random Rules button to randomate. Try dealing 10 cards and calling Yaniv below 20, go crazy!