Blackjack

[bplus]

Man! so tired I am making mistakes, this was supposed to be a mod not a new post.

[johnno56]

As promised... Next mockup... If you need something changed, just ask...

[bplus]

YES! and the "Powered by QB64" is nice touch.

[OldMoses]

This is SO realistic, I always lose. I used to play Blackjack with a cousin and one of his friends. I lost more quarters to those guys... ;)

[bplus]

This is SO realistic, I always lose. I used to play Blackjack with a cousin and one of his friends. I lost more quarters to those guys... ;)

Same here. The only time I stand a chance is if I vary bets, ie start increasing bets when my loosing streak has gone on long enough, maybe I can break even or get ahead a little.

That's why I got into the fake banking business with the code, to finance my gambling itch.

You wanna buy a Founder's share in the business? ;-))

While bplus the player is down -2314, the Founder has recovered his loan to bplus and is 349 ahead from bplus business.

[bplus]

As promised... Next mockup... If you need something changed, just ask...

Hi @johnno56

I am using the mockup as Splash screen what an improvement over last! And then I started using it's background color for the game (continuity) but it's an awfully yellow green. Is it possible to make it more "mintly" _RGB32(0, 51, 102) the color I had AKA &HFF003366. If so, while making change could you put the Black Jack on the right with the Ace on left underneath. If this is an official Blackjack table color (is there one?) then forget about changing color.

BTW were you thinking that mockup also as the table background for during the game?

And some more work in banking:

[johnno56]

"Same here.", fascinating. You lost quaters to 'OldMoses's' cousin and friend as well? Small world...

Looking at 'table' images, the absence of a 'table edge', was glaringly obvious... I will try to recreate something closer to an actual table... Fingers crossed.

In regards to the colour... 'Minty' - reduce 'green' by 80% and reduce 'blue' by 60%. I am going to assume that 'minty' will be our 'official' colour. ie: solid colour, no gradient? If so, might I suggest, applying a 'felt-like' texture... Just to 'breakup' a single colour. By the way, https://www.shutterstock.com/search/blackjack+table, shows various styles and cloth colours. Mostly green, but we have the advantage, of using whatever colour you like... Solid, gradient or textured.

I will see if I can produce just the 'minty' textured cloth with and without border gradient... It's been a long time since I tackled textures... Sounds like fun!

In regards to a 'splash screen'... My artistic talents (for want of a better word) are far from useful when it comes to that kind of creativity. As I have stated before, "I like simple". So, the image I provided, was a mockup of the game-play table. But, if you want to use if for a 'splash screen', I have no problem with that.  If so, then perhaps adding some cards and or chips, might lend to a better 'look'?

"Black Jack on the right with the Ace on left underneath"... I'm not quite sure how to interpret this one... How are your pencil and paper skills? Perhaps a sketch of the layout might be helpful... If you are sketching, perhaps an image of what 'you' think the game-play table could look like... It will certainly help with eliminating the 'guessing' factor... In the meantime, I will work on a better 'splash' and a new table cloth... Being Sunday, here in Oz, it will be particularly heavily weighted with family time... Not sure how much I can get done today, but I will do my best to at least get something done...

[bplus]

Hi @johnno56

Sorry, I write code functionality of game, you should have free hand to dress it up how you see fit. Nice images from Google link, those greens seem to me less yellow but like I said, free hand with images, sounds, smart mouth Dealer... ;-))

Don't worry about this but here is how I pictured logo for Blackjack: Red Ace on Left Overlapped by Blackjack on Right on Minty Green (felt? textured, nice idea!) background:
 

This is splash screen from last 2019 version.

The reason for Minty Green is that White print shows up very well in foreground, also reminds me more of felt like pool table.

[johnno56]

Minty and Green direct from the Editor....

Let me know which colour you would prefer and I'll go with that one... but I might sneak in a layout of the 'other' colour... wink, wink...

note: rgb(0, 51,102) is more blue than green...

[bplus]

HI @johnno56

Yeah I was looking up "Mint Green" on Internet last night and what a range! many way too heavy on the blue side. When I was saying minty green, I was just meaning slightly more cool blue than bright yellow.

Then I checked out "Emerald Green", which mostly does not show too much yellow nor blue, that is what I am going for, I think if we have to find a name socially agreed upon it would be Emerald Green. That name all the more appealing to me personally because I do have some Irish blood; my Grandfather was from Ireland :)

So in your next 2 mockup's the "Minty" is way too blue but the "Green.png" is it: color, cards, card positioning and even felt texture. I was worried you'd think me too picky and find something else to do but you are so close to my imagined image. In a perfect actualization of my imagination, I would like to see all of the central heart of the Ace cleared of the Blackjack card (as my current Avatar has it), just saying ;-))

Yikes! all this just for splash screen? Oh, I am not sure about the marble border, but decorating with some cards and chips, stacks sounds like an idea.

Now about the table:

Just a green felt from splash screen is OK. Maybe you could layout a Blackjack table like the images in link? but don't see the need for all those card slots unless we can get a multi-player thing going here at forum.

I don't know how to code a multi-player game, maybe someone else here would like to offer help?

I had a question come up when viewing your Google link to Blackjack images of tables,
"Blackjack pays 3 to 2" Is exactly what the game is doing now.
"Dealer must stand on 17, draw on 16" also is what this game is doing now.

But "Insurance Pays 2 to 1", what is Insurance?

This game is currently offering Double Down which pays 2 to 1 of your original bet if you win but charges twice as much as original bet if you loose. With DD, you have the advantage of seeing your cards and altering your bet, but disadvantage of only getting one more card, period.

Guess I have some home work.

BTW this revival of Blackjack game has helped get me going with Gin Rummy; making slow but steady progress for all the cases of card sets to optimize a hand. :)



To all,

Can any Blackjack fans here explain the difference between Insurance and Double Down? @Pete was the one who requested Double Down option be added.

Try for multi-player thing going here at forum? I would need help coding some kind of On-line thing.

I offer Founder's shares in the B+ Banking and Load system ;-))

[bplus]

Oh looks like I hit Jackpot with first link to my query:
http://www.readybetgo.com/blackjack/rules/blackjack-decisions-918.html

Explains rules and strategies, might use as reference source eg rules lookup, and guide for coding and playing BJ.
(Will read over after lunch.)

Oh hey! Surrender option, I get so many 15's that I loose at, sounds interesting for another button option.

[bplus]

OK, Insurance has to do with case of seeing the Dealer has an Ace after e deals out the 1st first round of cards.

As I recall now, with this reminder, when I considered this option before, the card sharks advised against taking out Insurance, so I never offered it as an option in my version. Still like that reasoning of all that but if anyone whats to challenge that logic, I am all "pointy" ears ;-))

BTW the House only pays 2 to 1 on the Insurance Bet and the original bet is still lost if Dealer gets Blackjack, so the 2 to 1 win only counters the loss of your original bet and is lost if Dealer does not have BJ.

Update: Surrender is interesting Option to offer but:
1. Double Down is nice alternate after you are resigned to hopeless hand (after first 2 cards only).
2. A surrender button doesn't really fit screen as 5th option for play (after first 2 cards and DD is 4th option).

[johnno56]

The point of "picky" did not enter into my thought processes. After all, the distance between us and the time differences, would tend to make progress seeming slower but never picky.

Display the central heart on the Ace, no problem, now where is that shrink button?... lol

"Yikes! all this just for splash screen?" - Yep. All this. You only get one chance to make a first impression... Believe it or not, I had been thinking of a better 'splash screen', more like the kind you see when you search for "Blackjack"... lol Oh. I agree about the "border"... Consider it gone... By the way... It was walnut... Marble would have been a little too 'showy'... lol

"Double Down" would explain the "D" on the chips... But some of them have "BB"... No idea what that means....

I played a "Scratch" version of Blackjack and part of the "sounds" were Dealer comments... like "Too bad", "Place your bets", "That's the way." etc... When you mentioned, 'Smart mouthed', what did you have in mind... Oh. Whatever the comments are, with they be audio, audio and text or speech bubbles? etc  Getting a bit to far ahead? lol

In regards to the table cloth design.... I'm ok with 'Emerald'... On some of the table images, shapes etc, placed on the cloth, were 'simple' shape that were slightly lighter than the cloth, Maybe a 'simpler' version of the 'cards' might be better. After all, we don't want the player (or the dealer) to confuse the actual cards with the cloth logo... lol  I will work on a more simplistic design and reserve the 'cards' for the splash screen. It may not work, but as they say (and it's never said who 'they' are...) 'a change is as good as a holiday".

Hmm... Surrender. I tend to agree with you on this one. Surrender is much like quit which is closely associated with exit... Exit was one of the 'buttons' was it not?... lol Oh. Button design... Did you have a particular 'shape' in mind or perhaps just have then as 'printed' images on the cloth? Either way works for me. Point-click-highlight (two states - on and off) or three states. Hover, on and off) ... oh, now who's getting picky... lol

[bplus]

Hi @johnno56

Ah yes, let's make a good first impression then!

Dealer speech could be audio but I expect that not so portable between Windows and Linux? I was thinking more like what you did in Battleship, just text to read, instructions as needed along with funny comments on the side, maybe we can tip the Dealer if we find em amusing enough :)

Could I have link to Scratch version? (assuming I can just run it without download and setup.)

RE: D, BB on chips,  I will look into chip designations.

Yeah for table I am thinking buttons will go across the middle (we might try a column of buttons on the right side? what do you think), how ever you want to design them but 200 pixels wide and 50 pixels high is what I am using for model. Maybe could do table clothes like the casino tables in that link = print the "Blackjack pays 3 to 2" and "Dealer must stand on 17, draw on 16" that's OK and draw box(es) for the bet(s) very near bottom of screen.

Stack Players chips on left, bet on right of cards? or above? or below? Oh looks like the bet goes in the boxes under the cards closer to player and some tables have a whole section further down towards player to store all the players chips. Ok maybe chips in the boxes for the bets but the players account will be a digital readout from B+ Banking and Loan :) readable only by the player for privacy and security reasons :)

Speaking of banking, I am still revising the code as original system worked with a single stake and when that was gone then game over but it's completely different now with banking system and continuous account updating.


Oh! Idea for shapes of buttons: diamonds, hearts, clubs, spades... hardly 200 x 50 though, maybe all 4 just touching  for an outline to one button, will that work? sure! ;-)) the order you wonder? heart club diamond spade overlap just enough to hold a line of print in the center of shape = 20 pixels, wait you have way better graphics for lettering!

[bplus]

@johnno56

Re: your link to Blackjack tables

Hey did you see the Blackjack sign in neon lights against a brick wall in the dark, that would be so cool!

And some of those tile patterns for tablecloth of hearts, diamonds, spades, clubs also cool though has to be dark and subtle not to distract for cards, buttons and text messages.