Ompyang

This is a game of elimination. Usually played before the real game begins (e.g. hide and seek) to determine who will be it, or if the game is played in groups who belongs to which group.

Everybody who wants to join the game will form a circle then place their hands in the middle (just like in a football/basketball huddle). A self-appointed (usually whoever called everyone to play the game) will shout out either of these two phrases:

1. maiba taya!
2. maiba alis!

maiba = different
taya = it
alis = removed/eliminated

And everyone should choose how to orient their hands--either palm-up or palm-down.

So if "maiba taya!" was called and you're the only one who had your palm down and everyone else is palm up, you're it.

And if "maiba alis!" was called and you're the only one who had your palm down, then you get to remove yourself from the group...because you're already safe. Note that being eliminated means you don't have to be it. The elimination process is there to determine who's going to be it.

Strategy...

To get the most advantage, it would be best if you're the first to ask everyone to play the game. This means you set the rules by calling maiba alis or maiba taya.

Sometimes you can see the patterns that your playmates usually employ. E.g. at the start of everygame everyone would expect that you will call maiba alis. There will be cheaters who will delay putting down their hands so they can have a bit more time to see which is dominant (palm up or palm down). So when I call the rules, I'd often call maiba taya first. It will turn out that less than half of the group will be eliminated from being it and the cheaters will still have to slug it out so we'll know who among them will be it. :)