Why does my Python black jack code give me an index error

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This my code and it keeps returning pop from empty list Index Error for 'S','H'and 'D'

from random import choice, shuffle
plain_cards = ['2','3','4','5','6','7','8','9','J', 'K', 'Q', 'A']
HEARTS = chr(9829)
DIAMONDS = chr(9830)
SPADES = chr(9824)
CLUBS = chr(9827)

suits = [HEARTS,DIAMONDS,SPADES,CLUBS]
def get_deck():
    deck = [(suit, card) for suit in suits for card in plain_cards]
    shuffle(deck)
    return deck

def get_cards_value(cards):
    total = 0
    aces = []
    for card in cards:
        if card[1].isdigit():
            total += int(card[1])
        if card[1] == 'K' or card[1] == 'J' or card[1] == 'Q':
            total += 10
        if card[1] == 'A' :
            total += 11
            aces.append('A')
    for i in aces:
        if total > 21:
            total -= 10
    
    return total


def game():
    print('Welcome to BLACK JACK')
    
    money = 1000
    playing = True
    game_on = True
    while playing:
        if money <= 0:
            playing = False    
            print('Thanks for playing but your money is done come back soon')
            
        else:
            bet = input('Stake: ')
            
            if  not bet.isdigit():
                print('Invalid input')
                continue
            elif int(bet) > money:
                print('You don\'t have enough money') 
                continue
            else:
                bet = int(bet)
                deck = get_deck()
                player_hand = [deck.pop(), deck.pop()]
                dealer_hand = [deck.pop(), deck.pop()]
                print('Player hand')
                print(f'{player_hand} total:{get_cards_value(player_hand)}')
                print('Dealer Hand')
                print(f'[{dealer_hand[0]}, ###]')
                
                player_total = get_cards_value(player_hand)
                dealer_total = get_cards_value(dealer_hand)
                while game_on:
                    if player_total > 21 or dealer_total > 21:
                        break
                    choice = input('(S)tand, (D)ouble, (H)it: ')
                    if choice == 'D':
                        bet *= 2
                        money += bet 
                        
                    if choice == 'D' or choice == 'H':
                        new_card = deck.pop()
                        player_hand.append(new_card)
                        break
                    
                    if choice == 'S':
                        break
                    
                if player_total < 21:
                    while dealer_total < 17:
                        new_card = deck.pop()
                        dealer_hand.append(new_card)
                
                if player_total == 21:
                    print('You won')
                    print(f'Player>>{player_hand} total:{get_cards_value(player_hand)}')
                    print(f'Dealer>>{dealer_hand} total:{dealer_total}')
                    money += bet
                
                elif dealer_total == 21:
                    print('You lost')
                    print(f'Player>>{player_hand} total:{get_cards_value(player_hand)}')
                    print(f'Dealer>>{dealer_hand} total:{dealer_total}')
                    money -= bet
                    
                elif player_total > dealer_total:
                    print('You lost')
                    print(f'Player>>{player_hand} total:{get_cards_value(player_hand)}')
                    print(f'Dealer>>{dealer_hand} total:{dealer_total}')
                    money -= bet
                    
                elif player_total < dealer_total:
                    print('You win')
                    print(f'Player>>{player_hand} total:{get_cards_value(player_hand)}')
                    print(f'Dealer>>{dealer_hand} total:{dealer_total}')
                    money += bet
                
game()

My output

Python

<pre>Welcome to BLACK JACK
Stake: 1000
Player hand
[('♦', '5'), ('♠', 'A')] total:16
Dealer Hand
[('♦', '6'), ###]
(S)tand, (D)ouble, (H)it: H
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:/Users/Godfrey Baguma/AppData/Local/Programs/Python/Python39/ssdd.py", line 109, in <module>
    game()
  File "C:/Users/Godfrey Baguma/AppData/Local/Programs/Python/Python39/ssdd.py", line 82, in game
    new_card = deck.pop()
IndexError: pop from empty list

What I have tried:

Welcome to BLACK JACK
Stake: 1000
Player hand
[('♦', '5'), ('♠', 'A')](total:16
Dealer Hand
[('♦', '6'), ###]((S)tand, (D)ouble, (H)it: H
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:/Users/Godfrey Baguma/AppData/Local/Programs/Python/Python39/ssdd.py", line 109, in <module>
    game()
  File "C:/Users/Godfrey Baguma/AppData/Local/Programs/Python/Python39/ssdd.py", line 82, in game
    new_card = deck.pop()
IndexError: pop from empty list

Posted 25-Jul-21 6:18am

Dr Glitch

Updated 25-Jul-21 10:24am

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OriginalGriff · Answer 1 · 2021-07-25T08:20:00

Just because your code runs, does not mean your code is right! :laugh:
Think of the development process as writing an email: compiling successfully means that you wrote the email in the right language - English, rather than German for example - not that the email contained the message you wanted to send.

So now you enter the second stage of development (in reality it's the fourth or fifth, but you'll come to the earlier stages later): Testing and Debugging.

Start by looking at what it does do, and how that differs from what you wanted. This is important, because it give you information as to why it's doing it. For example, if a program is intended to let the user enter a number and it doubles it and prints the answer, then if the input / output was like this:

Input   Expected output    Actual output
  1            2                 1
  2            4                 4
  3            6                 9
  4            8                16

Then it's fairly obvious that the problem is with the bit which doubles it - it's not adding itself to itself, or multiplying it by 2, it's multiplying it by itself and returning the square of the input.
So with that, you can look at the code and it's obvious that it's somewhere here:

C#

int Double(int value)
   {
   return value * value;
   }

Once you have an idea what might be going wrong, start using the debugger to find out why. Put a breakpoint on the first line of the method, and run your app. When it reaches the breakpoint, the debugger will stop, and hand control over to you. You can now run your code line-by-line (called "single stepping") and look at (or even change) variable contents as necessary (heck, you can even change the code and try again if you need to).
Think about what each line in the code should do before you execute it, and compare that to what it actually did when you use the "Step over" button to execute each line in turn. Did it do what you expect? If so, move on to the next line.
If not, why not? How does it differ?
Hopefully, that should help you locate which part of that code has a problem, and what the problem is.
This is a skill, and it's one which is well worth developing as it helps you in the real world as well as in development. And like all skills, it only improves by use!

Patrice T · Answer 2 · 2021-07-25T10:24:00

Quote:
Why does my Python black jack code give me an index error

You are told in error message:

PHP

    new_card = deck.pop()
IndexError: pop from empty list

This means that for some reasons, your deck is empty.
To apply correction, you need to understand what is going wrong.
First, check the number of cards in the deck, and use the debugger to understand how you end up with an empty deck.

Your code do not behave the way you expect, or you don't understand why !

There is an almost universal solution: Run your code on debugger step by step, inspect variables.
The debugger is here to show you what your code is doing and your task is to compare with what it should do.
There is no magic in the debugger, it don't know what your code is supposed to do, it don't find bugs, it just help you to by showing you what is going on. When the code don't do what is expected, you are close to a bug.
To see what your code is doing: Just set a breakpoint and see your code performing, the debugger allow you to execute lines 1 by 1 and to inspect variables as it execute.

Debugger - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[^]

Mastering Debugging in Visual Studio 2010 - A Beginner's Guide[^]
Basic Debugging with Visual Studio 2010 - YouTube[^]

phpdbg | php debugger[^]
Debugging techniques for PHP programmers[^]

The debugger is here to only show you what your code is doing and your task is to compare with what it should do.

Why does my Python black jack code give me an index error

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