Blackjack

Blackjack is a language to specify randomizers, first proposed by Lardarse and expanded to cover history-style randomizers by Tepples. The name is derived from the similarity of the original proposal to the way cards are shuffled in the card game Blackjack. It is intended to be useful both for human beings to read and for computers to parse. Tepples expects to add a Blackjack interpreter as a randomizer option in future versions of Lockjaw for PC.

Syntax

list

Choose a piece at random from the comma-separated list and deal it. Duplicates are permitted, making the duplicated pieces more likely. Equivalent to 1 bag of list, list with 0 history, or list with len history 1 rolls.

bag of list

Make a bag of list and deal them all in random sequence, then reshuffle. Equivalent to len(list) bag of list.

number bag of list

Make a bag of list and deal the first number in random sequence, then reshuffle.

sequence of list

Starting with the first piece of list, deal each piece in turn. When the end of the list is reached, start again from the beginning. Equivalent to list with len(list)-1 history

list with len history

Keep a list called history of the last len pieces dealt. (Repeated pieces in list are separate pieces for purpose of the history.) Choose a piece at random from list which is not in history and deal it. Then put the piece in history and remove the oldest piece from history.

list with len history number rolls

Keep a list called history of the last len pieces dealt. (Repeated pieces in list are separate pieces for purpose of the history.) Up to number times, choose a piece at random from list, and if it is not in history, deal it. Otherwise, deal the last piece chosen. Then put the piece in history and remove the oldest piece from history.

spec first list

Follow spec, except choose the first piece from list.

Examples

7-piece bag (Random Generator)

bag of I,J,L,O,S,T,Z

14-piece bag

bag of I,I,J,J,L,L,O,O,S,S,T,T,Z,Z

14-piece bag, dealt halfway

7 bag of I,I,J,J,L,L,O,O,S,S,T,T,Z,Z

Memoryless, uniform

I,J,L,O,S,T,Z

Memoryless, uniform including small pieces

I,J,L,O,S,T,Z,I2,I3,L3

Memoryless, more difficult (10% I)

I,I,J,J,J,L,L,L,O,O,O,S,S,S,T,T,T,Z,Z,Z

SZSZ

S,Z

Move to Back

I,J,L,O,S,T,Z with 4 history

SZSZ alternating

S,Z with 1 history

TGM1 randomizer (Incomplete, as this notation lacks a definition of the initial state of the history)

I,J,L,O,S,T,Z with 4 history 4 rolls first I,J,L,T

TGM2/3 randomizer (Incomplete, as this notation lacks a definition of the initial state of the history)

I,J,L,O,S,T,Z with 4 history 6 rolls first I,J,L,T

Lardarse's more difficult

5 bag of I,T,J,J,L,L,O,O,S,S,S,Z,Z,Z

Euchre

20 bag of S9,S10,SJ,SQ,SK,SA,H9,H10,HJ,HQ,HK,HA,D9,D10,DJ,DQ,DK,DA,C9,C10,CJ,CQ,CK,CA

Reference implementation

As of December 2006, Tepples is coding a reference implementation of Blackjack in the C language.

1. Randomizer engine: done
2. Spec parser
3. Integration with Lockjaw