The ChatRoom is here

I love playing the card game BS, but sometimes, it just doesn't have enough oomph for my short attention span. Instead, let's play some Russian BS.

Rules

Here is a quick guide to the rules.

• The game begins with a random player declaring the card type of the round (out of 14 options: A,2,3...10,J,Q,K,j where the j stands for joker)


• The same player starts the round, placing down as many cards as he or she wants, which all have to be of the declared card type.


• Any player can call BS on the play. If multiple players call BS, the player closest to the player who put down the cards to the right will be the one to call BS


• If BS is called on the play, then the cards played there are checked by the moderator. If the cards were indeed valid (i.e., all of the declared type or jokers), the player who called BS will take all of the cards played in the round. Otherwise, the player who played the invalid cards will take all of them.


• If no BS is called, the next player is up to play, and must also play the declared card type.


• We also allow players to pass their turn if they don't wish to play. However, if they pass, they are not allowed to play for the rest of the round (although they can call BS)


• If every player passes, then the round ends, and the player who played the last cards will start the next round by declaring the card type.


• If BS is called, the player who played the cards will start the next round and declare if he played valid cards, else the player who called BS will start.


• The player who has no cards at the end of the game wins.

I like these rules because they don't force you to lie, but usually, players tend to lie more than in the original version of BS

Challenge

This challenge will be a king-of-the-hill challenge, with submissions providing bots to play the game. The bots will be written in Python 3, although I'll try my best to accommodate all submissions.

The submissions should consist of the following three functions:

CallBS - determines whether you seek to call BS or not on a play
PlayCards - determines what cards you want to play
StartRound - determines what the declared type of the round is, if you are chosen to pick it.

The submitted functions should be named such that their names are ***_CallBS, ***_PlayCards, and ***_StartRound, where *** is the name of your bot.

Below are example functions that describe the inputs and outputs:

def example_CallBS(self,pos,player,handSize,currCard,numCards,numPile):
 '''This function will output True if the bot seeks to call BS on the
 current move, or False if not. The parameters are
 - self: class variable
 - pos: int - how many positions away you are to the right of the player (Note: if 
 your function got called, that means everyone to your left before the player decided 
 not to call BS)
 - player: str - holds the name of the bot who just played cards
 - handSize: int - how many cards playing bot holds
 - currCard: str - current card in play (One of A,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K,j)
 - numCards: int - number of cards just played by player
 - numPile: int - number of cards in the pile (not including played cards this turn)
 '''
 return True
def example_PlayCards(self,currCard,numPile,stillPlaying):
 '''This function will output a sublist of the hand of the bot to play this turn, or None to pass.
 The parameters are
 - self: class variable
 - currCard: str - current card in play (One of A,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K,j)
 - numPile: int - number of cards in the pile
 - stillPlaying: list of str - players who haven't passed this round
 '''
 return self.hand[:]
def example_StartRound(self):
 '''This function will output a string representing the card that will be played for the coming round (One of A,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K,j)
 The parameters are
 - self: class variable
 '''
 return 'A'

In addition, you will be provided with the following utilities

self.obj - A blank object for your usage to store knowledge between calls
self.hand: list of card objects - Your current hand in card objects (calling card.val gives you the str value of the card)
self.numBots: int - number of competitors you have
self.getRandom(): function - outputs a random number from 0 to 1.

If you want to use any sort of randomness, you must use the self.getRandom() function provided. You may not edit any of these objects except for self.obj

Parameters and more Rules

• The cards in this game (you'll see the class that the cards belong to in the controller below) don't have a suit since suits don't matter to this game.


• The number of cards in the game will be 14*number of bots (numBots of each type of card)


• In the output of PlayCards, you must output cards that are in your hand. The program will not like you otherwise. You also must output card objects, not strings.


• You may take at most 10 ms on average over 5 turns for StartRound, 50 ms averaged over 5 turns for PlayCards, and 20 ms averaged over 5 turns for CallBS.

Controller

In this Controller, you add your functions to the top of the program, then add a tuple of all three functions, in the order of (CallBS, PlayCards, StartRound) to the list BotParams. The Controller should take it from there.

Below is the controller with the example bot from earlier. This bot will not be participating, nor will any bots that obviously aren't aiming the win the competition.

import random as rn
rn.seed(12321)#Subject to change

def example_CallBS(self,pos,player,handSize,currCard,numCards,numPile):
 return True
def example_PlayCards(self,currCard,numPile,stillPlaying):
 return self.hand[:]
def example_StartRound(self):
 return 'A'

#This is how you add your bot to the competition. Add the tuple of all three of your functions to BotParams
BotParams = [(example_CallBS,example_PlayCards,example_StartRound)]

#This is the controller
class Obj:
 pass
class card:
 def __init__(self, val):
 self.val=val
 def __eq__(self,other):
 return (self.val==other or self.val=='j')
 def __str__(self):
 return self.val
class BSgame:
 def __init__(self,BotParams):
 self.numBots = len(BotParams)
 self.AllCards = ['A','J','Q','K','j']+[str(i) for i in range(2,11)]
 x=[card(j) for j in self.AllCards*self.numBots]
 rn.shuffle(x)
 self.hands = [x[14*i:14*i+14] for i in range(self.numBots)]
 rn.shuffle(BotParams)
 self.BotList = [BSBot(self.hands[i],len(BotParams),*BotParams[i]) for i in range(self.numBots)]
 self.play = 
 self.pile = 
 self.isRound = False
 self.isTurn = 0
 self.currCard = None
 self.winner=None
 self.GameSummary = [str(i) for i in self.BotList]
 def results(self):
 print("The winner is "+self.winner)
 print("Final Standings:")
 for i in self.BotList:
 print(i)
 def checkBS(self, caller):
 if min([i==self.currCard for i in self.play]):
 self.BotList[caller].hand.extend(self.pile)
 self.BotList[caller].hand.extend(self.play)
 self.GameSummary.append(self.BotList[caller].name+" called BS but was wrong!")
 if self.BotList[self.isTurn].hand==:
 self.winner=self.BotList[self.isTurn].name
 self.GameSummary.append(self.BotList[self.isTurn].name+" has won the game!")
 else:
 self.BotList[self.isTurn].hand.extend(self.pile)
 self.BotList[self.isTurn].hand.extend(self.play)
 self.GameSummary.append(self.BotList[caller].name+" called BS and was right!")
 self.isTurn=caller
 self.isRound=False
 self.pile=
 def isBS(self):
 for i in range(1,self.numBots):
 if self.BotList[(i+self.isTurn)%self.numBots].callBS(i,self.BotList[self.isTurn].name,len(self.BotList[isTurn].hand),self.currCard,len(self.play),len(self.pile)):
 self.checkBS(i)
 break
 if self.isRound:
 if self.BotList[self.isTurn].hand==:
 self.winner=self.BotList[self.isTurn].name
 self.GameSummary.append(self.BotList[self.isTurn].name+" has won the game!")
 self.pile.extend(self.play)
 def startRound(self):
 self.currCard = self.BotList[self.isTurn].startRound()
 for i in self.BotList:
 i.inRound = True
 self.isRound=True
 self.GameSummary.append(self.BotList[self.isTurn].name+" started the round by picking "+self.currCard+" for the round.")
 def __iter__(self):
 return self
 def __next__(self):
 if not self.isRound:
 self.startRound()
 passList = [i.name for i in self.BotList if i.inRound]
 self.play =self.BotList[self.isTurn].playCards(self.currCard,len(self.pile),passList)
 if self.play == None:
 self.BotList[self.isTurn].inRound=False
 self.GameSummary.append(self.BotList[self.isTurn].name+" passed its turn.")
 else:
 try:
 for i in self.play:
 self.BotList[self.isTurn].hand.remove(i)
 except:
 raise Exception("You can't play a card you don't have, you dimwit")
 self.GameSummary.append(self.BotList[self.isTurn].name+" played "+",".join(i.val for i in self.play)+".")
 self.isBS()
 if self.winner!=None:
 raise StopIteration
 if set(passList)!=False:
 while True:
 self.isTurn=(self.isTurn+1)%self.numBots
 if self.BotList[self.isTurn].inRound:
 break
 else:
 self.GameSummary.append("Everyone passed. "+self.BotList[self.isTurn].name+" starts the next round.")
 self.isRound=False
 return(None)
class BSBot:
 def __init__(self,myHand,numBots,CallBS,PlayCards,StartRound):
 self.obj=Obj()
 self.hand = myHand
 self.numBots = numBots
 self.name = CallBS.__name__.split('_')[0]
 self.callBS = lambda pos, player, handSize, currCard, numCards, numPile: CallBS(self,pos,player, handSize, currCard, numCards, numPile)
 self.playCards = lambda currCard, numPile, stillPlaying: PlayCards(self,currCard, numPile, stillPlaying)
 self.startRound= lambda:StartRound(self)
 def __str__(self):
 if self.hand==:
 return(self.name+': WINNER!')
 return(self.name+": "+", ".join(str(i) for i in self.hand))
 def getRandom(self):
 return rn.random()
Mod = BSgame(BotParams)
for i in Mod:
 pass
Mod.results()

Additionally, if you want to see a summary of the game, type in the following command at the end of the program:

print("n".join(Mod.GameSummary))

Naive Bot

def naive_CallBS(self,pos,player,handSize,currCard,numCards,numPile):
 return False
def naive_PlayCards(self,currCard,numPile,stillPlaying):
 return [card(currCard)] * self.hand.count(currCard)
def naive_StartRound(self):
 return self.hand[0].val

Never calls BS, never lies, and lets the game play out, while trying its best to win. Will always play all of the current card, and will start the round with the first card in its hand.

Asshole

def asshole_CallBS(self,pos,player,handSize,currCard,numCards,numPile):

 if not hasattr(self.obj, "flag"):
 self.obj.flag2 = False
 self.obj.flag = False
 if len(self.hand) < self.numBots * 14 * 1.5 / 4 and self.obj.flag:
 self.obj.flag = False
 if len(set(self.hand)) * self.numBots * 3.0 / 4 < len(self.hand):
 self.obj.flag2 = True
 if len(self.hand) < self.numBots * 14 * 3.0 / 4:
 if not self.obj.flag:
 self.obj.flag = True
 return False
 else:
 return self.hand.count(currCard) * 1.0 / self.numBots > 0.75
def asshole_PlayCards(self,currCard,numPile,stillPlaying):
 if not hasattr(self.obj, "flag"):
 self.obj.flag2 = False
 self.obj.flag = False
 if not self.obj.flag:
 return [card(currCard)] * self.hand.count(currCard) if len(self.hand) > self.numBots * 14 * 3.0 / 4 else self.hand
 else:
 if self.obj.flag2 and len(self.hand) < 3:
 return self.hand
 return [card(currCard)] * self.hand.count(currCard)
def asshole_StartRound(self):
 if not hasattr(self.obj, "flag"):
 self.obj.flag2 = False
 self.obj.flag = False
 card = ""
 max_cards = 0
 for i in "A,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K,j".split(","):
 if self.hand.count(i) > max_cards:
 max_cards = self.hand.count(i)
 card = i
 return card

Have you ever been that one player in BS who tries to get all the cards? No? Just me? Well, let me tell you it's just as fun. Trust me, this is a legitimate winning strategy.

Moniathan

def moniathan_CallBS(self, pos, player, handSize, currCard, numCards, numPile):
 if numCards > self.numBots * 0.5:
 return True
 if self.hand.count(currCard) == self.numBots:
 return True
 if self.hand.count(currCard) + numCards > self.numBots * 0.5:
 return True
 if numPile > self.numBots * 2:
 return True
 return False


def moniathan_PlayCards(self, currCard, numPile, stillPlaying):
 cards = [c.val for c in self.hand]

 if cards.count(currCard) > 1:
 return cards.count(currCard) * [card(currCard)]

 if cards.count(currCard) == 1:
 if len(self.hand) > 1:
 add_more = self.getRandom() > 0.75
 if add_more:
 return [card(currCard), [c for c in self.hand if c.val != currCard][0]]
 else:
 return [card(currCard)]
 else:
 return [card(currCard)]
 else:
 if self.getRandom() > 0.5:
 if self.getRandom() > 0.5 and len(self.hand) > 1:
 return [self.hand[0], self.hand[1]]
 else:
 return [self.hand[0]]
 else:
 return 


def moniathan_StartRound(self):
 return max(self.hand, key=lambda x: self.hand.count(x.val)).val

It mostly tries to play safe but sometimes it will take small risks to get ahead.

Halfwit

def halfwit_CallBS(self,pos,player,handSize,currCard,numCards,numPile):
 # Call if I know he's lying
 if numCards + self.hand.count(currCard) > self.numBots:
 return True
 # Call if he'd win otherwise
 if handSize == 0:
 return True
 # Call if that would be more than half of the remaining cards, more than 3, and he's got lots of cards
 if handSize > 14 and numCards > 3 and numCards + self.hand.count(currCard) > (self.numBots - numPile) / 2:
 return True
 return False
def halfwit_PlayCards(self,currCard,numPile,stillPlaying):
 # If I have this card, play all that I've got.
 if self.hand.count(currCard) > 0:
 return [card(currCard)] * self.hand.count(currCard)
 # If more than half of the cards of this value are allegedly already out, play nothing
 if numPile * 2 >= self.numBots:
 return
 # Play the smallest stack I've got.
 counts = [self.hand.count(i) for i in "A,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K,j".split(",")]
 choice = "A,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K,j".split(",")[counts.index(min([x if x != 0 else 100 for x in counts]))]
 return [card(choice)] * min([x for x in counts if x != 0])
def halfwit_StartRound(self):
 # Play the card I have the most of
 return max(self.hand, key=lambda x: self.hand.count(x.val)).val

Halfwit always plays something - and he cheats if he doesn't have any of the right cards to play. Right now there's a few issues with the controller and with the bot and I'm not sure which is which, so I'll have to come back and fix some bugs later.