How to play Yaniv
2-6 players · 5 cards each
Yaniv is a fast Israeli card game about nerve. You hold five cards, race to get your total low, then call "Yaniv" and hope nobody is lower. Mistime it and you get Caught.
Objective
Keep the total value of your hand low. When your hand is worth 7 points or fewer, you can call Yaniv to end the round. If you have the lowest hand, you win the round and score nothing. Across rounds, the goal is to avoid accumulating penalty points and be the last player standing.
Card values
Every card is worth points, and points are bad. Shed the high ones fast.
Ace
1
Lowest value, worth keeping.
2 to 10
2-10
Worth their face value.
J / Q / K
10
Worth 10 each, so shed these first.
What you can discard
Single Card
Any one card from your hand.
Set
Two or more cards of the same rank.
Q♥ Q♦ Q♣ ✓
Run
Three or more consecutive cards of the same suit.
9♥ 10♥ J♥ Q♥ ✓
PlayTash highlights every valid set and run in your hand so you can drop the biggest point reduction in a single tap.
How a turn works
- 1
Discard first
Start your turn by discarding a single card, a set, or a run. Dropping a group sheds the most points at once.
- 2
Then draw one card
Draw the top card of the face-down deck (a surprise), or take a face-up card the previous player just discarded (everyone sees what you took).
- 3
Or call Yaniv
If your hand totals 7 or less at the start of your turn, call Yaniv instead of discarding to end the round and reveal all hands.
Getting Caught
When you call Yaniv, you win only if your total is strictly the lowest. If any opponent ties or beats you, you are Caught: you take a +30 penalty, and the lowest opponent wins the round instead. Call too eagerly and a quietly low opponent will punish you.
Scoring and winning
- • At the end of each round, everyone except the winner adds their remaining hand total to their score. Low scores are good.
- • A successful Yaniv caller scores 0 for the round. A Caught caller adds 30.
- • Halving bonus: land on exactly 50 and you drop to 25; land on exactly 100 and you drop to 50.
- • Cross the bust limit and you are out. The last player standing, on the lowest score, wins the match.
Strategy tips
- 💡Shed J, Q, K and 10 early. They cost you the most if someone else calls Yaniv.
- 💡Hold pairs and near-runs: discarding them as a group dumps several points in one move.
- 💡Watch what opponents take from the discard pile. It tells you what they are collecting.
- 💡Do not call the instant you hit 7. If an opponent looks low too, one more turn down to 3 or 4 is safer.
- 💡Taking a low card from the discard pile is often better than a blind deck draw when you're racing to call.
About Yaniv
Yaniv (also spelled Yanive, and called Jhyap or Dhumbal in Nepal) took off in Israel as a hostel and backpacker game, then travelled wherever those players went. It takes about a minute to learn.
Rummy has you building toward a big hand. Yaniv does the opposite: five cards, and you drive the total down instead of completing melds. Rounds are short and the arithmetic is easy. The only real decision is whether to call now or risk one more turn.
The Caught rule is what gives it teeth. You only win by being strictly lowest, so calling early against a quiet opponent costs you 30 points. One bad call can decide a match.
PlayTash runs Yaniv for 2 to 6 players with no download or account. Add bots to practise, or send friends a code.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I call Yaniv?
At the start of your turn, before you draw, as long as your hand totals 7 or less. Aces are 1, number cards are face value, and J, Q, K are 10 each. The round ends immediately and everyone reveals to compare.
What does it mean to be 'Caught'?
You only win the round if your total is strictly the lowest. If anyone ties or beats you, you are Caught: 30 penalty points for you, and the lowest opponent wins instead and scores nothing. It is the whole risk of calling early, so make sure nobody else looks low.
What can I discard on my turn?
A single card, a set of two or more of the same rank (7♥ 7♠), or a run of three or more consecutive cards in one suit (4♣ 5♣ 6♣). Groups shed points fastest. PlayTash shows every valid set and run as a chip you can tap, so the biggest drop is one tap away.
How does drawing work after I discard?
You draw exactly one card: the top of the face-down deck, or one of the cards the previous player just discarded. The discard is face-up so you know what you are getting, but everyone also sees you take it. Older discards are off limits.
How does scoring work across rounds?
Low scores are good. At the end of each round everyone except the winner adds their remaining hand total to their score, and the winner adds nothing. Cross the bust limit and you are eliminated. Last player standing wins.
What is the 50 and 100 halving rule?
Land on exactly 50 and your score drops to 25. Land on exactly 100 and it drops to 50. A well-timed round can wipe out a chunk of your penalties, so experienced players sometimes aim for those totals on purpose.