Yaniv (card game)

Yaniv (Hebrew יניב), also known as "Dhumbal" or "Jhyap," is an Israeli card game that is popular in Nepal. It is similar to Blackjack with some minor differences in gameplay.[1][2] Yaniv has many variations with typically two to five players.[3][4]

Gameplay

Yaniv is played with a 54-card deck, made by adding two jokers to a standard 52-card deck.[1] The game is divided into rounds with a total score tally kept between the rounds.[1]

Objective

The objective of the game is to earn the fewest points in each round. The winner is the player with the fewest points at the end of the game.[5]

Each round ends when a player declares "Yaniv!". All players each have scores according to the cards they are holding. The player with the lowest score wins the round and records no points for the round. All other players record their corresponding scores for the round.[1]

Point values

Cards are assigned point values as follows:[3]

Card rank Point value
Joker 0
Ace 1
Numerical card Equal to card number
Face card 10

Structure of a round

Dealing

At the beginning of a round, each player is dealt seven cards face-down, rotating clockwise from the dealer's left. The remaining cards are placed in a draw pile in the center, face-down. The top card from the stack is turned face-up and placed to the side to begin the discard pile.[3]

Play

Play proceeds clockwise and because the starting player in each round has an advantage. The starting player in the first round should be chosen at random. In subsequent rounds, the winner of the previous round becomes the starting player.[3]

A player has two options for their turn: they may either play one or more cards or call "Yaniv." When playing cards, the player may discard a single card or a single set of cards, placing them into the discard pile. The player must then draw a card from the draw pile. Alternatively, the player may choose to take the card played by the previous player from the discard pile; however, if the previous player played a multi-card set, only the first or the last card in the set may be chosen. Note that the two jokers in the deck are considered wild.[1]

If the drawing deck is empty and no one has yet called "Yaniv", then all cards of the free stack excluding the last player's drop are shuffled and placed face down as a new deck.

Sets

A player may discard any of the following sets of cards:[1]

  • A single card
  • Two or more cards of the same rank
  • Three or more cards of consecutive ranks in the same suit. Note that aces are considered low for the purposes of sequences (i.e., an ace can be used before a 2, but not after a king)

Calling "Yaniv"

At the beginning of their turn, instead of playing cards, a player may call "Yaniv" (in Nepal, players call "Jhyap") if their current score (the sum of all card values in the player's hand) is less than an agreed-upon value; this value is often five but may be significantly higher.[1] When a player calls "Yaniv," the round ends, and all players reveal their card totals. If the player who called "Yaniv" has the lowest card total, they score 0 points; however, if another player has a total less than or equal to the calling player's total (a situation often called "Asaf"[3]), the calling player scores points equal to their card total plus 30 penalty points. All other players, regardless of whether their card totals are lower than the calling player's total, score points equal to their card totals. The winner of the round is the player with the lowest card total (not necessarily the player who called "Yaniv"); they become the dealer and the starting player for the next round.[1]

Ending the game

When a player's point total (the sum of the totals for each round) crosses a set threshold (usually 200), that player is eliminated from the game. Once all players but one has been eliminated, the remaining player is declared the winner.[3]

Common variations

Card orders

In some variations, aces are counted as both low and high for the purposes of sets.

Scoring

It is common practice in Yaniv to cut a player's score in half if it hits a multiple of 50 such as 50 or 100.[1] Additionally, in some versions of Yaniv, when a player's score hits any multiple of 50 exactly (50, 100, 150 or 200), it is reduced by 50.[6]

Calling

Some players may choose to instigate a punishment if "Yaniv" is called and the sum of the caller's cards is greater than seven. Examples of punishments include immediate elimination from the game, being forced to draw three additional cards, or having to swap cards with the first person who requests a swap. Others choose to let the game continue as usual.

Win conditions

Instead of playing until all players but one is eliminated, some games end as soon as a player crosses the point limit. In this case, the winner is the player with the lowest score when the game ends.

The “One Eyed Jack”

In a standard deck of cards, both are pictured from a side angle, where only one eye is visible. Each can be referred to as a “One Eyed Jack” or more commonly abbreviated to a “One Eye” and are considered the best scoring cards in the game.

See also

  • Jhyap, a similar game played in Nepal

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Rules of Card Games: Yaniv". www.pagat.com. Retrieved 2017-11-24.
  2. ↑ "Kartenspiel Regeln: Yaniv". www.pagat.com. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "How To Play Yaniv". www.catsatcards.com. Retrieved 2017-11-24.
  4. ↑ Spinka, Yinon. "Play YANIV Card Game Online". Yanivgame.com.
  5. ↑ gambiter.com, Yaniv - card game Objective
  6. ↑ How to Play Yaniv, Variations and Optional Rules
  • "Yaniv - card game". Gambiter.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
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