Yaniv is a card game, played by several people, whose rules are easy and quick to learn. Although it requires a bit of strategy and memory, it is not complicated : the bluff is what makes it particularly interesting. The goal is to have the fewest possible points in hand in order to announce Yaniv at the right time.
Here are the Yaniv rules, how a round plays out and how points are calculated.
Overview
Goal of the game
The goal of the game is to get the fewest possible points. If a player exceeds 200 points, he loses the game. The player with the fewest points wins.
The game is played over several rounds. In each round, players gradually get rid of their cards in order to have 7 points or less in hand and be able to announce Yaniv. The player who announces Yaniv reveals their cards. If they have strictly fewer points than the others, they win the round and the other players add the value of their hand to their score. On the other hand, if another player has the same number of points or fewer, the player who incorrectly announced Yaniv receives a penalty.
Number of players
Yaniv is played with at least 2 players. From 3 players onward, games are often more interesting. It is recommended not to play with more than 8 players to avoid turns becoming too long.
Cards used and values
You play with a 54-card deck : 52 standard cards and 2 jokers.
From 5 or 6 players, it is better to use two decks, meaning 108 cards.
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 point |
| Cards from 2 to 10 | Indicated value |
| Jack, Queen, King | 10 points |
| Joker | 0 points |
Setup
- Shuffle the cards.
- Deal 7 cards to each player.
- Place the rest face down in the center: this is the draw pile.
- Turn over the first card next to the pile: this is the discard pile.
Players keep their cards secret. The player to the left of the dealer starts, then play continues clockwise.
How a turn works
On their turn, a player must:
- either play one or more cards, then draw one;
- or announce Yaniv.
Playing cards
They may play:
- a single card ;
- a pair, three of a kind, or four of a kind of the same value;
- a run of at least three cards of the same suit (hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs are different suits).
Drawing a card
After playing their cards, the player draws:
- either the first card of the draw pile ;
- or the last available card on top of the discard pile before they played their cards.
If the previous player played several cards, they may take only one card located at one of the ends of the combination.
Example: if the previous player played a run made up of the 4, 5 and 6 of hearts, the next player may take the 4 or the 6 of hearts, but not the 5. Likewise, if they played a group of three 8s, the next player may take the higher or lower discarded 8.
Announcing Yaniv
A player may announce “Yaniv” when the total value of their hand is 7 points or less.
They do not play cards and do not draw. They reveal their hand directly, and then all players count their points.
Counting points
Successful announcement
If the player who announces Yaniv has strictly fewer points than everyone else :
- they score 0 points ;
- the others add the value of their hand to their total score, according to the value table above.
The Assaf rule
Conversely, if another player has the same number of points or fewer than the one who announced Yaniv, the Assaf rule applies. The player who announced Yaniv then receives 30 penalty points and no other player scores points.
Example
| Player | Hand value |
|---|---|
| Alex (announces Yaniv) | 4 points |
| Sofia | 8 points |
| Leo | 12 points |
| Daniel | 17 points |
Alex has the fewest points. Therefore, they score 0 points. Sofia scores 8 points, Leo 12 and Daniel 17.
If Sofia had had 4 points or less, Alex would have received the Assaf penalty, meaning 30 points. The other players would not have scored any points.
Special Yaniv rules
When a player reaches exactly 100 points, their score drops to 50. Should they reach exactly 200 points, it drops to 100.A player who announces Yaniv with only an ace in hand loses 20 points. With only a joker, they lose 50 points.
End of the game
Scores are recorded in a table and added up progressively from one hand to the next.
The first player to exceed 200 points loses. If you want to speed up the game, you can lower this threshold. The game then stops and the player with the fewest points wins.
If you want to make the game longer, you can continue until only one player remains: that player is then declared the winner.
Also discover
After the Yaniv rules, also discover the Hearts rules: Card game – Hearts.
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