Yaniv (card game)

Yaniv, also known by regional names including Yusuf, Jhyap, Jafar, aa'niv, Minca or Dave, is a card game played with a fifty-four card deck including two jokers, in which players draw and discard cards each turn while trying to hold the lowest possible total card value in hand. It is especially popular in Israel, where accounts trace its introduction to Israeli backpackers traveling through East Asia, though the game itself is described in some tellings as having originated in Nepal under the name Jhyap. The game accommodates a wide range of group sizes, needing a minimum of two players but most commonly played among two to five people, with up to eight able to play together comfortably. A round ends when a player believes their hand total is low enough to call out, risking a penalty if an opponent's hand turns out to be equal or lower, which keeps the drawing and discarding decisions tense throughout play.