Tricky Logic Challenge

[SoonerToucan]

I have been working on a problem that I thought I would give you guys a shot at. I have found it much more challenging than it appears.

You have a normal 52 card playing deck, with no jokers.

You have between 5 and 7 random cards that make up your hand.
ex: AS, 5D, 3H, 9H, 9C, 6S, 2C

The problem is to create a sub that determines, with the random cards, if you have either a straight or a chance to make a straight.

Draws include:
X=Card that helps the straight
0=Card that dosent help the straight

XXXXX - Straight
0XXXX0 - Double Chance Straight
X0XXX0X - Double Chance Straight
X0XXX - One Chance Straight
XX0XX - One Chance Straight
XXX0X - One Chance Straight

**Additional Challenge**
Determine if the straight or straight draw is a straight flush draw. (All cards that make the straight are of the same suit.)

I have been working on this for two days and am stumped.

Thanks for the help.

[thurst0n]

a bunch of Select Cases?? Lol that's what i woudl do but i doubt it's very effeciant...

Idk if this would work, but make an array with all the hands (not just winning hands, include how you had it like 2 chance stragith etc, just a 2x# of hands array, in one column would be the hand, and in the other would be the cards, then u'd have to match up what you actually have, and find that hand in the array...it'd be tricky seems like a lot of code, so that usually means there is an easier way...

sorry i couldnt help more i dont really know what i'm doing either so dont listen to me

[wossname]

Two words:

Regular Expressions

(.Net has a brilliant regex engine, look in the help)

[cphoenixc]

First sort your hand, make your own function to include J, Q, K, A.

After that it should be simple, start with the first card in your hand if it's value + 1 equals your next item then continue.

If the next value differs 2 from the one you're checking add 1 to variable OneOrDoubleChanceOfStraight.

If the next value differs 3 or more from the one you're checking now exit, no chance on a straight.

When the loop or while ends, check OneOrDoubleChanceOfStraight, if it's 0 you have a straight, if it's 1 you have OneChanceOf Straight. If it's 2 you have TwoChanceOfStraight.

If you have a straight, loop or while again through your hand to check if all types are equal.


After rereading your post I see I didn't read it right the first time, but main thing stays, sort your hand first, then try to figure it out...

[taxes]

HI,

It is not safe to comment on the programming code without knowing the precise object of the game. Is it a well known game or one you have invented?

It looks as if it might be a simple form of Poker (the ability to have scoring hands from different numbers of cards). When you use the word "Straight" do you mean a sequential run of cards, e.g. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6?

Do the cards in the Straight have to be of the same suit?

Are Straights the only winning hands?

Can you have 5 sequential cards making a valid straight out of 7 cards held?

[SoonerToucan]

wossname:
I looked into using regular expressions. I think I have a rough idea of how to use them, but the syntax seems pretty complex. If I can't find a 'easier' solution I will go back and try to learn Regex.

Taxes
I appologize, let me clairfy a bit. The game is a 7 card stud game where you get a total of 7 cards, you may only use 5 of them to make your hand. A straight is a group of 5 sequential cards that may have different suits. I would also like to check for a "straight flush" which contains 5 sequental cards, but each of the cards that makes the straight must be of the same suit.
For the purpose of this I am only lookng at the straight as a winning hand. Determining if I actually have completed a straight is fairly easy, its trying to figure out if I have a chance to make a straight that makes it a bit more difficult. (ie. the One Chance Straight and Double Chance Straight)

cphoenixc
What I have done so far is to convert the face cards (J, Q, K, A) into the numbers (11, 12, 13, 14) to make it easier.
Your suggestion does help, but there are a few problems with it. For example what happens if the hand is (2c, 9d, 10d, Jc, Qs, Kh) Your code will exit out after the 2 didnt find a card within 2 spaces.

Some other problems I have run into include:
If you have a pair the normal checking for + 1 gets messed up. I tried removing all pairs but then that creates a problem when you check for the flush as well. As removing one of the pair cards could prevent you from making the straight flush.

This problem sure seem trickier than it should be, thanks for the help!

-Toucan

[taxes]

Hi,

So, one final confirmation please. You have 7 cards in hand from which you want to check if any five (or more) constitute a Straight or could constitute a Straight if one or two matiching cards turn up. Is that right?

[SoonerToucan]

Yes, you have 7 cards in your hand and you want to check and see if any 5 of them make a straight. A straight is "made" once any 5 of them are in consecutive order(3, 4, 5, 6, 7). Beyond that (say if there are 6 consecutive cards) the straight was made when the 5th card was checked and was consecutive, therefore the 6th consecutive card dosent really matter as the straight has already been made.

-Toucan

::Looking at what I posted after "(3, 4, 5, 6, 7)" reads really confusing. Ignore it if it confuses you guys as much as it just did me.

[cphoenixc]

Another try, not 100% worked out, but might give you ideas.

First make two arrays, one with cards you have left, one with cards you choose.

A
1 - take first card from arrayLeft put in arrayChoose
2 - take first card from arrayLeft, compare if it follows the one in array Choose

3 - it follows, great, put it in arrayChoose, repeat process (2)

4 - it doesn't follow, put it back in arrayLeft, move point in arrayleft 1 step so the second item is now number one.

5 - repeat proces (2)

6 - if you run out of cards, move point in arraychoose to the right and start again (1), till your last card is the one you started with.

B
if this didn't bring you a straight follow with this;
(arraychoose is empty again, arrayleft is back to old state)
1 - take first card from arrayLeft, put in arrayChoose
2 - take first card from arrayleft, put it in arraychoose (don't care if it follows or not)

3 - take first card from arrayleft compare if diff with card1 is 2, if so, put it in array choose, do 2,3,4,5 from A.
4 - if diff is not 2 then put it back in arrayleft, move point in arrayleft 1 step

5 - repeat process (3)

K, this is getting complicated now, but hopefully it helps you along, it's called backtracking and it's a simple calculate till you drop with multiple while loops. In this case, your cards don't need to be ordered.

Small (hopefully correct) example;

2 4 5 6 13 10 8

A

2
2 (picks 4 5 6 13 10 8, but no match)

4
4 5
4 5 6
4 5 6 (picks 2 13 10 8, but no match)

5
5 6 (picks 2 4 13 10 8, but no match)

If you follow this, starting with 6, 12, 10, 8 gives no straight.

B

2
2 4
2 4 (picks 5 6 13 10 8, no luck, take next one in arrayleft)

4
4 2
4 2 5
4 2 5 6 (picks 13 10 8, no luck)

Start again with A

I know this doesn't do (yet) what you want, but it's a try out which might show you the correct way.

If you don't exit the loop(s) when you find one of the solutions you want it will find all solutions, also taking care of the problem of pairs etc. Example:

1c 2h 3h 4h 5h 1h 00 is a different solution from;l
1h 2h 3h 4h 5h 1c 00 and both will be found.

[cphoenixc]

Originally posted by taxes
Hi,

So, one final confirmation please. You have 7 cards in hand from which you want to check if any five (or more) constitute a Straight or could constitute a Straight if one or two matiching cards turn up. Is that right?

SoonerToucan you say 'Yes' to this, but if I understand correctly it should be;

'You have 7 cards in hand from which you want to check if any five (or more) constitute a Straight or could constitute a Straight if ONE matiching cards turn up.'

If not then X00XXX etc. are also options...

[SoonerToucan]

cphoenixc, your last post is correct. I am only searching for a completed (5 card straight) or an uncompleted (5 card straight) that only needs one card to complete.

I havent had a chance to read your suggestions yet, I wanted to clarify your question asap. I will post again after I look it over and try some stuff out.

Thanks,
-Toucan

[SoonerToucan]

Ack! am I losing my mind or did taxes post a solution? I was working with it and then had to close the browser. When I came back it was gone.

Hmm....

Someone tell me I am not crazy.

-Toucan

[taxes]

Originally posted by SoonerToucan
Ack! am I losing my mind or did taxes post a solution? I was working with it and then had to close the browser. When I came back it was gone.

Hmm....

Someone tell me I am not crazy.

-Toucan

Hi,

Sorry,

It was 3.00 am here when I found a combination that it did not handle correctly. I could not sort out the error and decided to take a simpler approach which I will post shortly.

If you got the other one to work totally then let me know, it was not far off.

[SoonerToucan]

Cool, I was afriad you yanked it for good. I was in the middle of playing with it when you pulled it, so I stopped working with it. I am looking forward to seeing your solution. Would you agree this problem is a bit trickier than it first appears?

Thanks again,
-Toucan

[taxes]

Originally posted by SoonerToucan
Cool, I was afriad you yanked it for good. I was in the middle of playing with it when you pulled it, so I stopped working with it. I am looking forward to seeing your solution. Would you agree this problem is a bit trickier than it first appears?

Thanks again,
-Toucan

Hi,

Once you understand the object of the game it is not difficult logically but because of the large number of theoretical possibilities the programme tends to get out of hand, which is what was likely to happen with my withdrawn approach. - I discovered that with the approach I was using (which I started when I thought you could draw 2 new cards) , having tested the cards in ascending order, you would then have to test them in descending order to cover all possibilities

The approach I am now using avoids that and it should be available within an hour.

[taxes]

Hi,

I have now decided to use a different appraoch to reduce the complexity.

First I examine for the possibility of four or five in a sequence.

Then I examine for the possibility of five with one gap in a sequence.

I have assumed that Aces can be treated as high or low.

Dim iCheck, iStartCheck As Integer    'To check for successive unbridgable gaps in sequence
        Dim iCount, iCount1, iMissing As Integer
        Dim iExamined, iDiscards As Integer
        Dim iAdjustCardCount As Integer = 0
        Dim iZeroCount, iStraightCount, iFullStraight As Integer
        Dim arriHand(7) As Integer   ' To hold cards as dealt, sorted
        Dim strMessage As String
        arriHand(1) = 2
        arriHand(2) = 3
        arriHand(3) = 4
        arriHand(4) = 5
        arriHand(5) = 12
        arriHand(6) = 13
        arriHand(7) = 14
        Dim arriHand1(15) As Integer    'Number of array element to indicate value of card dealt
        For iCount = 0 To 7
            arriHand1(arriHand(iCount)) = arriHand1(arriHand(iCount)) + 1
        Next
        If arriHand1(14) > 0 Then
            iAdjustCardCount = 1
            arriHand1(1) = arriHand1(14)  'If there is an Ace, place it in first position as well
        End If
        iMissing = 0
        iCheck = 0
        iStartCheck = 1
        Do
 
            'Check for existing straight 5 or straight 4
            For iCount = iStartCheck To 14
                If arriHand1(iCount) = 0 Then
                    iCheck = 0
                Else
                    iExamined = iExamined + arriHand1(iCount)
                    iCheck = iCheck + 1
                End If
 
                Select Case iCheck
                    Case Is > 4
                        strMessage = "Straight Five Held"
                        Exit Do
                    Case Is > 3
                        strMessage = "Straight 5 Possible with 1 card"
                        If 7 + iAdjustCardCount - iExamined < 1 Then
                            Exit Do
                        End If
                End Select
 
            Next
 
 
            'Check for 4 in sequence with 1 gap
            iExamined = 0
            For iCount = iStartCheck To 14
                If arriHand1(iCount) > 0 Then
                    iExamined = iExamined + 1
                Else
                    If iExamined > 0 Then
                        iMissing = iMissing + 1
                        If iMissing > 1 Then
                            iStartCheck = iStartCheck + 1
                            iCount = iStartCheck - 1
                            iExamined = 0
                            iMissing = 0
                            iDiscards = 0
                            For iCount1 = 1 To iCount
                                If arriHand1(iCount1) > 0 Then iDiscards = iDiscards + 1
                            Next
                            If iDiscards - iAdjustCardCount > 3 Then
                                strMessage = "Straight 5 Not Possible with 1 Card"
                                Exit Do
                            End If
 
                        End If
                    End If
                End If
                If iExamined = 4 Then
                    strMessage = "Straight 5 Possible with I card"
                    Exit Do
                End If
            Next
            strMessage = "Straight 5 Not Possible with 1 card"
            Exit Do
        Loop
        MessageBox.Show(strMessage)

[taxes]

HI,


Phew!! Got it.

I have edited my previous post which has worked on all the variations I can think of.

I should have stuck to the the programmers Rule 1 ..... Check one thing at a time and not tried to check the whole hand at once

The final programme took me 1 hour. Now I can have my breakfast (and lunch at the same time).

[taxes]

HI,

Just in case anyone looked at it, I have just amended my posted code to allow for one sequence I forgot to check.

[SoonerToucan]

Very nice taxes I am impressed. My last attempt at solving this used the same method, but my was much more verbose and much uglier.... and didnt work. Its nice to know i was on the right track.

Once again thanks for your time, you have been a great help.

Cheers,
-Toucan

[taxes]

Originally posted by SoonerToucan
Very nice taxes I am impressed. My last attempt at solving this used the same method, but my was much more verbose and much uglier.... and didnt work. Its nice to know i was on the right track.

Once again thanks for your time, you have been a great help.

Cheers,
-Toucan

You're welcome It was interesting.

The fun really starts when you want to know which card(s) you want and which to discard