Question

In python

this is what I have for task 3, but I don't know how to fix it so that the computer stops picking from the pile once it reaches zero

Task 3: Extend the game to have two piles of coins, allow the players to specify which pile they take the coins from, as well as how many coins they take Finish Task 3 and try three test cases

import random

remaining_coins1 = 22
remaining_coins2 = 22

while 1:

print("\nTake turns removing 1,2, or 3 coins.")
print("You win if you take the last coin.")

while remaining_coins1 > 0 or remaining_coins2 > 0:
print("\nThere are ", remaining_coins1, "coins remaining in pile 1.")
print("There are ", remaining_coins2, "coins remaining in pile 2.")

taken_pile = random.randint(1,2)

while 1:
if taken_pile == 1 and remaining_coins1 == 0:
taken_pile = 2
elif taken_pile == 2 and remaining_coins2 == 0:
taken_pile = 1
break

print("\nPlayer 1 (computer) has choosen pile ",taken_pile)

taken_coins = random.randint(1,3)

while 1:
if taken_pile == 1:
while taken_coins > remaining_coins1:
taken_coins = random.randint(1,remaining_coins1)
elif taken_pile == 2:
while taken_coins > remaining_coins1:
taken_coins = random.randint(1,remaining_coins2)
break

print("Player 1 (computer): How many coins do you take? ",taken_coins)

if taken_pile == 1:
remaining_coins1 = remaining_coins1 - taken_coins
else:
remaining_coins2 = remaining_coins2 - taken_coins

print("\nThere are ", remaining_coins1, "coins remaining in pile 1.")
print("There are ", remaining_coins2, "coins remaining in pile 2.")

if remaining_coins1 == 0 and remaining_coins2 == 0:
print("\nNo more coins left!")
print("Player 1 (computer) wins!")
print("Player 2 loses!")
print("\n --------------------------------")
break

# Player 2 turn
taken_pile = int(input("\nPlayer 2: Choose the coin pile ? "))
while taken_pile < 1 or taken_pile > 2:
print("That's not a legal move. Try again.")
taken_pile = int(input("Player 2: Choose the coin pile ? "))

while 1:
if taken_pile == 1 and remaining_coins1 == 0:
print("There is no coin in the choosen pile 1 so choose from pile 2")
taken_pile = 2
elif taken_pile == 2 and remaining_coins2 == 0:
print("There is no coin in the choosen pile 2 so choose from pile 1")
taken_pile = 1
break

taken_coins = int(input("Player 2: How many coins do you take? "))
while 1:
if taken_pile == 1:
while taken_coins < 1 or taken_coins > 3 or taken_coins > remaining_coins1:
print("That's not a legal move. Try again.")
print("\nThere are ", remaining_coins1, "coins remaining in pile 1.")
print("There are ", remaining_coins2, "coins remaining in pile 2.")
taken_coins = int(input("Player 2: How many coins do you take? "))
elif taken_pile == 2:
while taken_coins < 1 or taken_coins > 3 or taken_coins > remaining_coins2:
print("That's not a legal move. Try again.")
print("\nThere are ", remaining_coins1, "coins remaining in pile 1.")
print("There are ", remaining_coins2, "coins remaining in pile 2.")
taken_coins = int(input("Player 2: How many coins do you take? "))
break;

if taken_pile == 1:
remaining_coins1 = remaining_coins1 - taken_coins
else:
remaining_coins2 = remaining_coins2 - taken_coins

if remaining_coins1 == 0 and remaining_coins2 == 0:
print("\nNo more coins left!")
print("Player 2 wins!")
print("Player 1 (computer) loses!")
print("\n --------------------------------")
break

choice = input("\nDo you want to continue ?(y/n) ")
if choice == "n":
print("\nThank you for joining the game !");
exit()
elif choice == "y":
remaining_coins1 = random.randint(20,30)
remaining_coins2 = random.randint(20,30)

Answer 1

The code is working fine.

The reason you are not getting any result once any of the coin pile reaches to 0 is because of the following:

1. There is a logical mistake in this part of the code that is why the console is not display any player win

if remaining_coins1 == 0 and remaining_coins2 == 0:
print("\nNo more coins left!")
print("Player 1 (computer) wins!")
print("Player 2 loses!")
print("\n --------------------------------")

In this code there is a mistake of and logical operator, here it means that to run this section of code both the condition should be true but it is not possible, the game is about who's so ever first empty the pile is a winner so instead of and there should be or logical operator ( the first player to empty the pile is the winner )

So i slightly modified this section of your code like this

So here i also introduced a new variable called win which is acting like a flag when any player wins it is set to 1 otherwise it default value is 0 ( the full code is given below )

2. I also delete some part of code which i think is not required, just to optimize it.

while 1:
if taken_pile == 1 and remaining_coins1 == 0:
taken_pile = 2
elif taken_pile == 2 and remaining_coins2 == 0:
taken_pile = 1
break

this while loop is not required as we are using random function for computer to select pile and coins and is also not running because of and operator because if remaining_coins1 == 0 then some player is a winner.

Full Code:

import random

remaining_coins1 = 22

remaining_coins2 = 22

win=0

while 1:

    print("\nTake turns removing 1,2, or 3 coins.")

    print("You win if you take the last coin.")

    while remaining_coins1 > 0 or remaining_coins2 > 0:

        print("\nThere are ", remaining_coins1, "coins remaining in pile 1.")

        print("There are ", remaining_coins2, "coins remaining in pile 2.")

        break

    

    taken_pile = random.randint(1,2)

    print("\nPlayer 1 (computer) has choosen pile ",taken_pile)

    

    taken_coins = random.randint(1,3)

   

    print("Player 1 (computer): How many coins do you take? ",taken_coins)

    if taken_pile == 1:

        remaining_coins1 = remaining_coins1 - taken_coins

    else:

        remaining_coins2 = remaining_coins2 - taken_coins

    print("\nThere are ", remaining_coins1, "coins remaining in pile 1.")

    print("There are ", remaining_coins2, "coins remaining in pile 2.")

    if(win==0):

        if(remaining_coins1 == 0 or remaining_coins2 == 0):

            print("\nNo more coins left!")

            print("Player 1 (computer) wins!")

            print("Player 2 loses!")

            print("\n --------------------------------")

            win=1

    # Player 2 turn

    taken_pile = int(input("\nPlayer 2: Choose the coin pile ? "))

    while taken_pile < 1 or taken_pile > 2:

        print("That's not a legal move. Try again.")

        taken_pile = int(input("Player 2: Choose the coin pile ? "))

        break

    while 1:

        if taken_pile == 1 and remaining_coins1 == 0:

            print("There is no coin in the choosen pile 1 so choose from pile 2")

            taken_pile = 2

        elif taken_pile == 2 and remaining_coins2 == 0:

            print("There is no coin in the choosen pile 2 so choose from pile 1")

            taken_pile = 1

        break

   

    taken_coins = int(input("Player 2: How many coins do you take? "))

    while 1:

            if taken_pile == 1:

                while taken_coins < 1 or taken_coins > 3 or taken_coins > remaining_coins1:

                    print("That's not a legal move. Try again.")

                    print("\nThere are ", remaining_coins1, "coins remaining in pile 1.")

                    print("There are ", remaining_coins2, "coins remaining in pile 2.")

                    taken_coins = int(input("Player 2: How many coins do you take? "))

            elif taken_pile == 2:

                while taken_coins < 1 or taken_coins > 3 or taken_coins > remaining_coins2:

                    print("That's not a legal move. Try again.")

                    print("\nThere are ", remaining_coins1, "coins remaining in pile 1.")

                    print("There are ", remaining_coins2, "coins remaining in pile 2.")

                    taken_coins = int(input("Player 2: How many coins do you take? "))

            break

    

    if taken_pile == 1:

        remaining_coins1 = remaining_coins1 - taken_coins

    else:

        remaining_coins2 = remaining_coins2 - taken_coins

    

    

    if(win==0):

        if remaining_coins1 == 0 or remaining_coins2 == 0:

            print("\nNo more coins left!")

            print("Player 2 wins!")

            print("Player 1 (computer) loses!")

            print("\n --------------------------------")

            win=1

    if(remaining_coins1==0 or remaining_coins2==0):

        choice = input("\nDo you want to continue ?(y/n) ")

        if choice == "n":

            print("\nThank you for joining the game !")

            exit()

        elif choice == "y":

            remaining_coins1 = random.randint(20,30)

            remaining_coins2 = random.randint(20,30)

        

NOTE: PLEASE BE CAREFUL OF INDENTS

Output:(the code is run in vscode)

Thank You