Blackjack

This document, DECUS No. 8-94 from the DECUS Program Library, describes a BLACKJACK game program developed by Dennis J. Frailey of Ford Motor Company on September 5, 1967. It is designed for DEC PDP-8 series computers (including PDP-8S and PDP-5) and specifically requires the Extended Arithmetic Element (EAE).

The program is interactive, allowing users to set a shuffle count and place wagers. It follows standard Blackjack rules, where Aces can be 1 or 11. Players are prompted to "HIT?" or stand, and the dealer's hidden card is revealed before they take their turn. The game tracks the player's winnings, reshuffles the deck when exhausted, and ends when a wager of zero is placed. A notable limitation is the potential for issues if winnings or losses exceed approximately 2000, due to integer storage limits.

The document includes instructions for loading and using the program, a sample run illustrating the gameplay, and the complete program listing (assembly code), which outlines its structure with subroutines for shuffling, card dealing, and a "house limit" to prevent infinite doubling of bets.