Israeli "Taki" Card Game Inventor Settles Rule Disputes

Haim Shafir, the Israeli inventor of the popular card game "Taki," has clarified long-standing rules of the game during an appearance on the morning show "Haolam Boker" on Reshet 13. Shafir addressed common debates among players, aiming to provide definitive answers to disputes that have persisted for decades.

Regarding the colored "Taki" card, Shafir explained that while it previously functioned as a color-changer, its role has evolved. Now, the "King" card resets the game and grants an additional turn where the player can change the color. Consequently, the colored "Taki" card now adopts the color of the card placed beneath it, similar to a chameleon.

Shafir definitively stated that players are not permitted to play a numbered card of one color on top of the same number in a different color within an open "Taki" pile. He emphasized that cards must match in both color and number, or be a special action card.

He also clarified the rules for the "Plus Three" card. Shafir explained that typically, all players draw three cards from the deck when this card is played. However, if a "Break" card is played immediately after the "Plus Three," only the player who initially laid down the "Plus Three" card draws the three cards.

At the end of the interview, Shafir introduced his new game, "Panic." In "Panic," players tap on a shared app according to number cards, trying to avoid "exploding." Shafir expressed that "Panic" is the first game he has created in years that he feels reaches the level of "Taki" in terms of social experience, despite being a completely different game.