Poker Pool — Development Plan

Milestone 1: Local Playable Prototype

Goal: Prove the core rules and feel with a complete local 2-player match.

Phase A: Foundation (Tasks 1-3)

Project scaffold — Phaser 3 + Matter.js, TypeScript, directory structure, config files, HTML entry
Game state model & rules engine — Pure TS state, suit claiming, card registration, validity, shot resolution, miss counting, Stand, showdown triggers
Poker hand evaluator — Standard 5-card ranking, kickers, ace-low straights, partial hands

Phase B: Physics & Controls (Tasks 4-5)

Physics layer — Table, 6 pockets, 15+1 balls, forgiving pocket geometry, capture zones, rails, settling detection
Shot controls — Click-drag aim, power from distance, trajectory preview, arrow key fine aim

Phase C: Match Flow (Task 6)

Full match flow — Coin-flip breaker, rack, break rules, Phase 1 (suit mapping), Phase 2 (hand race), shot resolution pipeline, card registration, respawn, swap, turns, Stand + showdown, 3-miss elimination

Phase D: UI (Tasks 7-9)

HUD & modals — Both hands, active player, miss pips, phase, pocket labels, Stand countdown. Suit selection, wildcard, swap, showdown, concede modals
Rules panel — 4-tab info panel (How To Play, Poker Ranks, Pocket Rules, Controls)
Debug toggles — Backtick panel for tuning pocket size, capture, power, friction, overlays

Phase E: Verification (Tasks 10, 12)

Unit tests — Core rule resolution coverage per spec §25
Integration test — Full match playthrough from break to win

Exit Criteria

Two local players can complete a match from break to win screen
No rule-blocking bugs in card registration, swap, Stand, or showdown
Pockets forgiving enough for non-pool players
Architecture clean and understandable
Config files tunable by non-technical collaborator

Milestone 2: Juiced Prototype With AI (Future)

AI opponent, polished visuals, audio, settings, expanded rules panel

Milestone 3: Polished Online Game (Future)

FTUE, online multiplayer, matchmaking, reconnect, responsive polish