Yaniv is a card game that is popular in Israel and is similar to the game of Gin Rummy. The game is usually played with 2-5 players and involves creating sets and runs of cards in order to get the sum of points in your hand below 7.
Each player begins each round with five cards dealt from the deck. The person who last called "yaniv" goes first. Play proceeds in a clockwise manner as players attempt to get their hands total below 7 points (Aces low, jokers count for 0 points). At the beginning of a turn, a player who has below 7 points may call "yaniv." They then display their hand to the table. This player hopes to have the lowest score of everyone at the table. If any other player has a lower or equal score than them, that other player calls "assaf". Players tally their poitns according to the rules, and keep track of their totals from round to round. Players are out when they reach > 200 points. Rounds continue until there is a single victor.
A turn consists of either discarding card(s) and drawing a new one, or calling "yaniv".
You may discard one or more cards of the same rank, or a straight flush of at least 3 cards (aces low). (Note that the next player may pick up any of the cards you discard unless it's in the middle of a straight flush!)
You may either draw from the deck, or any of the cards discarded by the previous player with the exception of a straight flush. You may only draw the lowest or highest cards of a straight flush. So for example if the player before you discarded a 6 of Clubs, 7 of Clubs, Joker, and 9 of Clubs, you cannot take the 7 or the Joker. You may only take the 6 and the 9.
You may only call "yaniv" at the beginning of your turn. That means once you get below 7 points, you need to wait a full round before you can actually call "yaniv."
If other players at the table have a score that is lower than or equal to the player who called "yaniv," the one with the lowest score calls "assaf."
If you discard one or more cards of the same rank and draw a card of that same rank from the deck, you may "slap down" that card until the next person has discarded or called yaniv. You may not slap down the continuation of a straight flush or if you drew the card from the discard pile.
At the end of each round, all players beside the one who called "yaniv" tally their points as follows: Jokers count as 0. Aces through tens count as 1 - 10 points respectively. Royal cards all count as 10 points. They then add the tally to their totals. If this brings their total over 200, they lose and exit the game.
If a player has called "yaniv" and nobody has called "assaf," they do not tally their points, gaining 0 points.
If a player has called "yaniv" and been "assaf"ed, they tally their total and add 30.
If a player's score hits a multiple of 50 (50, 100, 150, or 200), they halve their scores (down to 25, 50, 75, and 100 respectively).