PS3 | Python Fiddle

scrabble_letter_values = {'a':5, 'b':15, 'v':15, 'q':10, 'l':15}
hand = {'a':1, 'q':1, 'l':2, 'm':1, 'u':1, 'i':1}
word_list = ['cat', 'dog', 'quail', 'quailml', 'bone', 'ml']
score = 0
##--------------test values above----------------------------##

#gets value for individual letter, checking for missing values
def get_letter_score(letter):
    return scrabble_letter_values.get(letter, 0)

def get_word_score(word, n, score):
    ##base case
    if word == '':
        if n == 7:
            score = score + 50
        return score
    ##recursive case
    else:
        score = score + get_letter_score(word[len(word)-1])
        word = word[0:len(word)-1]
        return get_word_score(word, n, score)

#displays the current letters in the hand as a string
def display_hand(hand):
    handstring = ''
    for i in hand:
        for x in range(hand[i]):
            handstring = str(handstring + ' ' + i.upper())
    if handstring != '':
        print 'Letters in hand:', handstring
    else:
        print 'Empty hand!'

##Checks a word to make sure the letters required are in the hand
def check_hand(hand, word):
    for i in word:
        inWord = hand.get(i, 0)
        if inWord == 0:
            return False
        else: 
            return True
        
##updates and removes letters in a hand once used in a word        
def update_hand(hand, word):
    for i in word:
        if hand[i]-1 == 0:
            del hand[i]
        else:
            hand[i] = hand[i]-1

##function checks to ensure that words are in in word_list and that letters in word are in hand
def is_valid_word(word, hand, word_list):
    if word in word_list and check_hand(hand,word) == True:
		return True
    elif word not in word_list and check_hand(hand, word) == True:
        print 'Not a word!'
    elif word in word_list and check_hand(hand, word) == False:
        print 'You do not have one or more of those letters in your hand!'
    else:
        print 'You do not have one or more of those letters! And that is not a word!'
            
##checks if word is valid, scores word, then removes letters from hand            
def play_hand(hand, score):
    word = ''
    while word != '.':     
        display_hand(hand)
        #word = 'quail'
        word = raw_input('Enter word or a "." to indicate that you are finished!: ')
        if word == '.':
        	break
        if is_valid_word(word, hand, word_list) == True:
            update_hand(hand, word)
            score = score + get_word_score(word, len(word), score)
            play_hand(hand, score)
    print score
            
		
play_hand(hand, score)

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