Blackjack/Pontoon game Week 1

Blackjack/Pontoon game

Brief

The next gaming assignment is a to make a well know card game into a computer game.

Blackjack/pontoon/21 are all card games involving the concept of players trying to get as close to 21 points in a given set of cards.

Blackjack, also known as twenty-one, is the most widely played casino banking game in the world. Blackjack is a comparing card game between a player and dealer, meaning that players compete against the dealer but not against any other players. It is played with one or more decks of 52 cards. The object of the game is to beat the dealer, which can be done in a number of ways:

• Get 21 points on the player's first two cards (called a blackjack), without a dealer blackjack;
• Reach a final score higher than the dealer without exceeding 21; or
• Let the dealer draw additional cards until his or her hand exceeds 21.

The player or players are dealt an initial two-card hand and add together the value of their cards. Face cards (kings, queens, and jacks) are counted as ten points. A player and the dealer can count his or her own ace as 1 point or 11 points. All other cards are counted as the numeric value shown on the card. After receiving their initial two cards, players have the option of getting a "hit", or taking an additional card. In a given round, the player or the dealer wins by having a score of 21 or by having the highest score that is less than 21. Scoring higher than 21 (called "busting" or "going bust") results in a loss. A player may win by having any final score equal to or less than 21 if the dealer busts. If a player holds an ace valued as 11, the hand is called "soft", meaning that the player cannot go bust by taking an additional card; 11 plus the value of any other card will always be less than or equal to 21. Otherwise, the hand is "hard". (taken fromhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackjack)

Each card is given a value, which is its face value. The picture cards Jack / Queen / King are all 10 points each and the ace is 1 or 11  (depending on variant of game rules you choose).

There is a dealer and 4 other players. 

You control one player and the computer controls the other 3 players

This is not about amazing graphics, its also not about GAMBLING. The goal of the game is is to win a round, you can have a system where its best of 7 games or something like that. You will need to study first of all the rules for playing blackjack/pontoon/21 and pick a rule set. Then you need to study probability (ie the mathematical study of chance).

When would you choose to twist or stick and why?

When would an AI player choose to stick or twist and why? You will need to understand and embed this into the game. Creating this game is a lot harder than it looks.

Stage one is:

Study the rules and understand the card games

Study probability (rules or chance).

Blog your development process and blog how you get the AI to choose to twist or stick and how probability links with this.

Core Features

• Decide what kind of Data Structure to hold the cards; List, Queue, Stack, Array.
• Find or Create sprites for the cards in the game.
• Develop the dealing mechanic for the four players.
• Develop the simple rules, the player can stick or twists and if goes over 21 loses.
• Develop the AI for the different players, Beginner, Intermediate, Expert.
• If another player has 21 then add a five card trick.

Extra Features

• Split option. Player can split the two values into different variables
• Personalise the players so they act differently not just depending on their cards but also how the game is going or how much time has passed.
• Add cool animations or character personalities. Theme could be wild west or futuristic.

Game Rules

• Pontoon > Five card trick > 21, 20...
• 4 players including the user controlled player.
• Players cannot stick with less than 15.
• Players are dealt two cards face down.
• If player has Pontoon then they must turn their Ace facing up.
• If a player twists the card is dealt to them face up.
• If a player busts they must declare that they are bust.
• If a player gets two of the same card value they have the option to split and receive one card for each new hand face down.

Deck and Dealing Structure

• Create a single deck of 0-51 and a separate array of values that correspond to the initial values. Use modulo to reference the deck list to the array of values.
• Choose who is going first and deal them cards round the table
• Go through turn order clockwise.

Theme

Originally I thought of doing a Wild West theme but decided to go for something a little more unique. I decided on what will be called Spiffing Pontune and it will have a stereotypical English theme. I may well decide on recording a voice over for the game that is a caricature English butler. The theme of the game will be a 19^th century Gentlemen’s club. The players around you will be fairly simple caricatures of the time period and in your environment there will be cigar trays, etc.