Looking for suggestions/advice

[Geoff Canyon]

On Aug 12, 2005, at 1:12 AM, Rodney Somerstein wrote:

> I'm curious how, without codifying rules, you handle dealing cards  
> face up/down as desired? Would you require an extra click to flip  
> the card? In real life it is one smooth motion. If the game knows  
> how the card is supposed to be dealt it isn't an issue at all. If  
> you have a UI solution I'm very interested as I will probably use  
> it myself. ;-)

I'm not saying there would be _no_ rules, just saying that there  
would only be those rules inherent to playing cards themselves.  
Dealing a card face up and dealing a card face down would be two  
separate commands. Given that, I don't think one deck or nine, or  
different faces, would present any challenge at all.


I haven't spent time considering this, so I'm sure I won't come up  
with the optimal solution, but perhaps:

1. A game specification consists of:
   a. a description of the deck: 4 decks of 52 cards, standard,  
shuffled.
   b. a description of players: dealer, player
   c. a description of standard deal(s):
     i. face down/face up for the dealer, face up/face up for the  
player(s)
     ii. one card face up. This is designated the default deal.
2. The dealer issues the "new deck" command, gets a stack of 4  
shuffled decks.
3. The dealer clicks on the deck and gives the "deal i." command.  
Cards fly off the deck to the players and the dealer, in the  
appropriate patterns.
4. The dealer, if the player(s) ask for it, clicks the deck and  
clicks the player's cards, thus dealing one card face up.

This wouldn't enforce the rules of blackjack, obviously. It wouldn't  
even count for you. But it _would_ let you play thousands of card  
games with minimal setup. Doing it this way would give you more time  
to focus on things like the visual appearance and the smoothness of  
the interaction. Eric's ultimate solitaire is wonderful in that respect.