Play single-deck blackjack game with Alexa.
Solo Blackjack is a voice-enabled, voice-only, single deck blackjack game. Alexa will narrate what's going on at the table. There are essentially three stages in each round of the game: (1) bet, (2) play your hand, and (3) settle the bet. Here's a quick guide as to how to play Solo Blackjack.
(1) You launch the skill and ask Alexa to start a game, e.g., by saying "play blackjack".
(2) Once a game starts, a single deck is used for 6~7 consecutive hands. You are given an initial bankroll of $2000. You can start a round by "betting" or asking Alexa to deal (with the default bet amount, which is $10 currently). Say "bet 5 dollars" or "just deal", etc. The bet has to be within a certain range (currently, between the minimum $1 and the maximum $100).
(3) After a hand with two cards is dealt, you have a choice to hit, stand, double down, or split (if it makes sense). You can continue to hit until you request to stand or double down, or until your hand busts. You can just say "hit", "stand", etc. Or, you can say these action words in sentences like "I'm hitting", "I will split it", or "I should double down", etc.
(4) Next, (a) the dealer opens the hole card, (b) she plays out her hand, (c) the win/loss is determined, and (d) the bet is settled. Then the next hand is dealt. Note that Alexa does not announce each card as they are being dealt or otherwise provide any elaborate explanations as to whose hand has what value, etc. As in a real casino game, you are dealt a set of cards, and you need to count the points _in your head._
(5) In the middle of the game, if you need to be reminded what your hand is, then just ask "what was my hand again?", "what is the dealer's upcard?", or "tell me about our hands", etc.
(6) You can ask about your current bankroll any time. Just ask, "what is my bankroll?", "How much do I have?", etc. Note that we do not keep track of the total number of the won/lost hands. The "score" you need to keep track of in Solo Blackjack is your bankroll.
(7) If you feel like the game is too fast, you can ask Alexa to slow down. Or, you can ask for a timeout. Just say, "I need more time", "more time", or "give me a timeout", etc.
(8) You can also ask for a new shuffle in the middle of the deck. Just say "new shuffle" or "start a new game", etc. Note that your current bankroll will be reused in the new game.
(9) You can split your pair hands as many times as you like. However, when you have many split hands (e.g., by repeatedly splitting tens), it can become rather hard to "see" what's going on without visual cues. We recommend not to split hands too many times.
(10) We do not offer insurance in Solo Blackjack. If the dealer has a natural 21 and you don't, then you will automatically lose.
Note that a "real single deck" of standard cards is used in Solo Blacjack (as far as the computer simulation goes). The same with shuffling. The cards you are dealt with in Solo Blackjack are likely _more random_ than the cards shuffled and dealt by a human dealer in a real casino.
Blackjack is a game of skill and luck. Try and beat the dealer by trying your best. Good luck!
** "Verbosity"
Feel like Alexa is talking too much? You can make the game move a bit faster by setting the "verbosity level" to "less". Just say, "make it less verbose", "less talking", or "say less", etc. You can change the verbosity level before or during a game. You can even launch the skill in the less-verbose mode. For example, you can say, "Alexa, start Solo Blackjack and say less." You can also say "start a fast game" after launching Solo Blackjack. You can reset the verbosity level by using the word "more" instead of "less".
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