Trying to figure out how to properly break these nested loops - c++

Question

It's a simple game, where there are 23 sticks and you and the computer can remove 1, 2, or 3 and whoever removes the last one loses. It's, as you likely imagined, a project for a class.
The full code is here.
#include <iostream>
#include <cstdlib>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
char playAgain = 'Y';
int totalSticks = 23;
int humanStickChoice = 1;
cout<<"**************************** RULES: Remove 1, 2, or 3 sticks per turn.\n";
cout<<"*Welcome to our Game of 23!* The player who removes the very last stick\n";
cout<<"**************************** loses. Good luck!\n";
cout<<endl;
while (totalSticks > 0 && playAgain == 'Y' || playAgain == 'y')
{
cout<<"There are "<<totalSticks<<" sticks left. How many sticks would you like to remove?:\n";
cin>>humanStickChoice;
cout<<endl;
if(totalSticks >= 3){
if(humanStickChoice != 1 && humanStickChoice != 2 && humanStickChoice != 3){
while(humanStickChoice != 1 && humanStickChoice != 2 && humanStickChoice != 3){
cout<<"Invalid choice; you can remove 1, 2, or 3 sticks. Choose again:\n";
cin>>humanStickChoice;
}
}
totalSticks=totalSticks-humanStickChoice;
cout<<"Player removes "<<humanStickChoice<<" sticks.\n";
}
else if(totalSticks == 3){
if(humanStickChoice != 1 && humanStickChoice != 2){
while(humanStickChoice != 1 && humanStickChoice != 2){
cout<<"Invalid choice; you can remove 1 or 2 sticks. Choose again:\n";
cin>>humanStickChoice;
}
}
}
else if(totalSticks == 2){
if(humanStickChoice != 1){
while(humanStickChoice != 1){
cout<<"Invalid choice; as there are 2 sticks remaining, you can remove only one.\n";
cin>>humanStickChoice;
}
}
totalSticks=totalSticks-humanStickChoice;
cout<<"Player removes "<<humanStickChoice<<" sticks.\n";
}
else if(totalSticks == 1){
if(humanStickChoice != 1){
while(humanStickChoice != 1){
cout<<"Invalid choice; as there is 1 stick remaining, you can remove only one.\n";
cin>>humanStickChoice;
}
}
int humanStickChoice = 1;
cout<<"Player removes "<<humanStickChoice<<" stick.\n";
totalSticks=totalSticks-humanStickChoice;
cout<<"*************************************************\n";
cout<<"Player removed the last stick! Computer wins!";
if(totalSticks == 0){
cout<<endl<<"Would you like to play again? If so, input Y and hit return.\n";
cin>>playAgain;
totalSticks = 23;
}
}
//This block above is where the logic error is occurring; instead of going back to the
//beginning of the "main" while loop and starting over with the human player starting,
//the totalSticks count is merely replenished and the program continues to go on with the
//computer making the first move; the human is supposed to make the first move every game.
if(totalSticks > 4){
int computerStickChoice = (4-humanStickChoice);
cout<<"Computer removes "<<computerStickChoice<<" sticks.\n";
totalSticks=totalSticks-computerStickChoice;
}
else if(totalSticks == 4){
int computerStickChoice = 3;
cout<<"Computer removes "<<computerStickChoice<<" sticks.\n";
totalSticks=totalSticks-computerStickChoice;
}
else if(totalSticks == 3){
int computerStickChoice = 2;
cout<<"Computer removes "<<computerStickChoice<<" sticks.\n";
totalSticks=totalSticks-computerStickChoice;
}
else if(totalSticks == 2){
int computerStickChoice = 1;
cout<<"Computer removes "<<computerStickChoice<<" stick.\n";
totalSticks=totalSticks-computerStickChoice;
}
else if(totalSticks == 1){
int computerStickChoice = 1;
cout<<"Computer removes "<<computerStickChoice<<" stick.\n";
totalSticks=totalSticks-computerStickChoice;
cout<<"*************************************************\n";
cout<<"Computer removed the last stick! You win!";
if(totalSticks == 0){
cout<<endl<<"Would you like to play again? If so, input Y and hit return.\n";
cin>>playAgain;
totalSticks = 23;
}
}
}
return 0;
}
The section causing the error:
else if(totalSticks == 1){
if(humanStickChoice != 1){
while(humanStickChoice != 1){
cout<<"Invalid choice; as there is 1 stick remaining, you can ";
"remove only one.\n";
cin>>humanStickChoice;
}
}
int humanStickChoice = 1;
cout<<"Player removes "<<humanStickChoice<<" stick.\n";
totalSticks=totalSticks-humanStickChoice;
cout<<"*************************************************\n";
cout<<"Player removed the last stick! Computer wins!";
if(totalSticks == 0){
cout<<endl<<"Would you like to play again? If so, input Y and hit
return.\n";
cin>>playAgain;
totalSticks = 23;
}
}
I've debugged every scenario (I think) where these nested loops could break except for one which I can't figure out.
I've added comment lines above it to explain but I'll explain here as well; when the player loses in the last else-if block, the # of sticks are replenished and there is a cin-input to ask the user if they want to play another game. It's supposed to start over and have them play the first move, but, it's just continuing down the code and having the computer make the first move.
How do I have the human make the first move again?
I tried using break; and messing with the "main" while loop requirements but I can't get it right.

Answer 1

Use continue to skip the rest of the loop body and go immediately to the next iteration.
Use break to exit the loop completely. So the final test should be:
if(totalSticks == 0){
cout<<endl<<"Would you like to play again? If so, input Y and hit
return.\n";
cin>>playAgain;
if (playAgain == 'y' || playAgain == 'Y') {
totalSticks = 23;
continue;
} else {
break;
}
}
With this change, there's also no need to test playAgain in the while condition. The test here handles it completely.

Answer 2

Im short on time so not the most ideal way to do it but here's the code:
humanFirstMove = false;
cout << "There are " << totalSticks << " sticks left. How many sticks would you like to remove?:\n";
cin >> humanStickChoice;
cout << endl;
And
if (totalSticks == 0) {
cout << endl << "Would you like to play again? If
so, input Y and hit return.\n";
cin >> playAgain;
totalSticks = 23;
humanFirstMove = true;
}
Finally
//This block above is where the logic error is
occurring;instead of going back to the
//beginning of the "main" while loop and starting over with the human player starting,
//the totalSticks count is merely replenished and the program continues to go on with the
//computer making the first move; the human is supposed to make the first move every game.
if (!humanFirstMove) {
if (totalSticks > 4) {
int computerStickChoice = (4 - humanStickChoice);
cout << "Computer removes " << computerStickChoice << " sticks.\n";
totalSticks = totalSticks - computerStickChoice;
}
Pretty much just added a boolean