Yaniv: Rules and How to Play
Yaniv is a card game from Israel for 2 to 5 players. Discard sets and runs to shrink your hand, then call “Yaniv!” at 5 points or less. Play free in your browser, with no account.
Objective
Yaniv is a card game widely played in Israel. You try to keep the total of your hand as low as possible, and once it is 5 points or less you may call “Yaniv!”. If the caller has the lowest hand they score 0 and everyone else scores their hand. Players are eliminated once their running total passes 100; the last player left wins (200 can be selected in settings).
Setup
- Two to five players, 54 cards including two jokers (a 52-card deck without jokers can be chosen in the settings).
- Deal five cards each. The rest form the stock; turn its top card face up to start the discard pile.
- Card values: ace 1, 2–10 face value, J/Q/K 10, joker 0.
- The first starter is chosen at random; play goes clockwise.
How to play
- On your turn, discard one group from your hand, then draw one card.
- A group is a single card, two or more cards of the same rank, or three or more consecutive cards of one suit (a run). In runs the ace is low only (A-2-3 yes, Q-K-A no), and a joker can fill a gap.
- Draw the top of the stock, or an end card (first or last) of the group the previous player just discarded. From a single card, take that card. Middle cards cannot be taken.
- When the stock runs out, everything except the last discard is shuffled into a new stock.
- If your hand totals 5 or less, you may call “Yaniv!” at the start of your turn, before discarding. Everyone then shows their hand.
Winning and scoring
- If the caller has the lowest total, the call stands: the caller scores 0 and everyone else scores their hand total.
- If anyone has the same or less, it is “Assaf”: the caller scores their hand plus a 30-point penalty. Everyone else scores their hand, including the lowest player.
- A running total of exactly 100 drops to 50, and exactly 200 drops to 100.
- Anyone whose total passes 100 is out (the settings also offer “out over 200”). The last player remaining wins.
- The next round starts with the round’s lowest player (the caller if the call stood, the Assaf player otherwise).
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2–5 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call limitCall limitCalling Yaniv means ending the round at the start of your turn when your hand totals this much or less. With 7 or less you can call sooner, but it becomes more likely that someone else has the same or less and calls Assaf on you. | The hand total at or below which you may call Yaniv. | 5 or less | Adjustable |
| Assaf penaltyAssaf penaltyAssaf is when someone else's hand totals the same as or less than the Yaniv caller's. The caller then scores their hand plus this penalty. The bigger the penalty, the riskier a borderline call becomes. | Penalty added to the caller’s hand on Assaf. | 30 | Adjustable |
| Assaf player’s scoreAssaf player’s scoreOn Assaf, this is what the lowest player other than the caller scores. If several players tie for lowest, all of them are treated the same way. With their hand, they add their hand total as usual; with 0, they add nothing. Scoring 0 rewards catching the caller even more. | What the lowest player other than the caller scores on Assaf (if tied, every tied lowest player). | Their hand | Adjustable |
| JokersJokersJokers are worth 0, so simply holding one keeps your total down. They can also fill a gap in a run or extend it at either end. Without them, getting your total low is a little harder. | Jokers are worth 0 and can fill gaps in runs. | Two jokers | Adjustable |
| Exact scoresExact scoresYour running total drops when it lands exactly on certain numbers. By default, exactly 100 becomes 50 and exactly 200 becomes 100. With halving, any exact multiple of 50 (50, 100, 150 …) is halved. It gives players close to going out a chance to recover. | Whether a running total drops when it lands exactly on certain numbers. | 100→50 · 200→100 | Adjustable |
| EndingEndingIn the knock-out versions, players drop out once their total goes over the limit, and the last player left wins. In the other version, the game ends as soon as anyone goes over 100 and the lowest total wins, which makes for a shorter game. | When players are out and how the game ends. | Out over 100 | Adjustable |
Terms
- Yaniv
- The call you make at the start of your turn when your hand totals 5 or less.
- Assaf
- When someone has the same total as the caller or less. The caller takes a 30-point penalty.
- Group
- What you discard in one turn: a single card, a set of a rank or a run.
- Run
- Three or more consecutive cards of one suit, such as 4-5-6 of hearts.
- Out
- Eliminated after your total passes 100 (or 200, depending on the settings).
FAQ
When can I call Yaniv?
When your hand totals 5 or less (7 in the settings), at the start of your turn before discarding.
What is Assaf?
Someone had the same total as the caller or less. The caller scores their hand plus 30; everyone else scores their hand.
Can I take any card from the discard?
Only an end card (first or last) of the group the previous player just discarded.
What if my score is exactly 100?
By default exactly 100 drops to 50 and exactly 200 drops to 100. The settings also offer halving at multiples of 50, or no drops.
What is a joker worth?
Zero. It can stand in for a missing card in a run, but not in a set.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-26 · Run by Qdan, Inc.