Teen Patti, also known as Indian Poker, is a popular card game that blends skill, strategy, and luck. One of the significant hand combinations in Teen Patti is the "Three of a Kind," which is a formidable hand and can often lead a player to victory. In this blog post, we will delve into the mechanics of validating a Three of a Kind hand in Teen Patti when played by three players, using Java programming as our medium of discussion.

Understanding the Basics of Teen Patti

Teen Patti is played with a standard deck of 52 cards and can include anywhere from 2 to 10 players. Each player is dealt three cards, and the aim is to create the best possible combination of three cards. The rankings of the hands, from highest to lowest, are as follows:

• Three of a Kind
• Straight Flush
• Flush
• Straight
• Pair
• No Pair (Highest Card)

A "Three of a Kind" consists of three cards of the same rank, such as three Kings or three Aces. This hand is particularly valuable because it can beat a variety of other hands, provided players are not able to form a higher-ranking combination.

Java Implementation of Three of a Kind Validation

For our Java implementation, we need to validate whether any of the three players holds a Three of a Kind hand. Let’s outline the structure and the approach we will take for our code.

Step 1: Create a Card Class

The first step is to create a class that represents a card. This will include the rank and suit of each card:

    
    public class Card {
        private String rank;
        private String suit;

        public Card(String rank, String suit) {
            this.rank = rank;
            this.suit = suit;
        }

        public String getRank() {
            return rank;
        }

        public String getSuit() {
            return suit;
        }
    }
    
    

Step 2: Create a Player Class

Next, we create a Player class that holds a list of cards:

    
    import java.util.List;
    import java.util.ArrayList;

    public class Player {
        private List hand;

        public Player() {
            this.hand = new ArrayList();
        }

        public void addCard(Card card) {
            hand.add(card);
        }

        public List getHand() {
            return hand;
        }
    }
    
    

Step 3: Implement Three of a Kind Validation

Now we implement the method to check for Three of a Kind:

    
    public class TeenPattiValidator {
        public static boolean hasThreeOfAKind(Player player) {
            List hand = player.getHand();
            Map rankCount = new HashMap<>();

            for (Card card : hand) {
                rankCount.put(card.getRank(), rankCount.getOrDefault(card.getRank(), 0) + 1);
            }

            return rankCount.containsValue(3);
        }
    }
    
    

Step 4: Testing the Validation

Finally, we need to set up a test scenario with three players, where we create hands and validate the Three of a Kind:

    
    public class Main {
        public static void main(String[] args) {
            Player player1 = new Player();
            player1.addCard(new Card("A", "Hearts"));
            player1.addCard(new Card("A", "Diamonds"));
            player1.addCard(new Card("A", "Clubs"));

            Player player2 = new Player();
            player2.addCard(new Card("K", "Hearts"));
            player2.addCard(new Card("Q", "Diamonds"));
            player2.addCard(new Card("8", "Clubs"));

            Player player3 = new Player();
            player3.addCard(new Card("2", "Hearts"));
            player3.addCard(new Card("2", "Diamonds"));
            player3.addCard(new Card("3", "Clubs"));

            System.out.println("Player 1 has Three of a Kind: " + TeenPattiValidator.hasThreeOfAKind(player1)); // true
            System.out.println("Player 2 has Three of a Kind: " + TeenPattiValidator.hasThreeOfAKind(player2)); // false
            System.out.println("Player 3 has Three of a Kind: " + TeenPattiValidator.hasThreeOfAKind(player3)); // false
        }
    }
    
    

Enhancing the Game with User Interaction

To take the program further, you can integrate user interaction and allow players to input their cards dynamically. You might implement a simple command line interface or delve into GUI programming using Java Swing.

Furthermore, consider enhancing the gameplay with betting rounds or other elements similar to a traditional poker game.

Best Practices for Clean Code

As we develop our Teen Patti game, consider the following best practices for clean code:

• Consistency: Maintain a consistent naming convention and code structure.
• Commenting: Use comments to explain complex code sections or algorithms.
• Modularization: Break down your code into smaller, manageable functions or classes.

Conclusion

In this article, we explored the fundamental concept of validating a Three of a Kind in Teen Patti for three players, complete with Java implementations and best practices. Implementing game logic in programming not only reinforces understanding but also allows for creativity in crafting engaging and entertaining applications.