Ruach

Ruach (from the Hebrew word for "ghost") is a magical card game that is popular in Israel and Palestine. Variations are also played in North Africa and across the Middle East.

Ruach is based on Yaniv, a draw-and-discard Muggle card game that originated in Nepal.

The game involves a deck of 104 cards: thirteen cards representing eight different suits. It can involve anywhere from two to eight players.

Gameplay

During the game, a dealer deals cards from a central deck. Each player starts with seven cards in their hand. During gameplay, each player (starting from the dealer's left) draws cards from a central deck and then discards a card or run of sequential cards onto the table.

The game ends when a player declares "Ruach!", which can happen at any time. When a player calls Ruach, the round ends and all players reveal their card totals. If the player who called Ruach has the lowest card total, then they score zero points. However, if another player has a total score equal to or lower than the player who called Ruach, the initial caller must take a 30-point penalty. All other players score points equal to their card total. The player with the lowest score wins.

Ghost Cards

Ruach is made much more challenging by the fact that the cards turn invisible and visible at random intervals, meaning that a seemingly good hand can suddenly turn bad by the reappearance of an unexpected card, or that a carefully-planned strategy can get instantly scuttled when a key card disappears.

It is also not uncommon for Ruach players to cheat by sneaking ghost cards in front of their opponent and then claiming that the card must have been dropped when it suddenly reappears.

At Absit Omen

• Aviad Cohen teaches Nate Briggs to play Ruach one night at the Black Chimaera. [1]