diff --git a/src/client.odin b/src/client.odin
index 70a6df6..4b7fdd9 100644
--- a/src/client.odin
+++ b/src/client.odin
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import "core:io"
 import "core:mem"
 import "core:net"
 import "core:os"
+import "core:slice"
 
 run_client :: proc(host_addr: net.Endpoint) {
 	serv, list_err := net.dial_tcp(host_addr)
@@ -14,7 +15,7 @@ run_client :: proc(host_addr: net.Endpoint) {
 
 	// player input from stdin
 	scanner: bufio.Scanner
-	bufio.scanner_init(&scanner, io.to_reader(transmute(io.Stream)os.stdin.stream))
+	// bufio.scanner_init(&scanner, io.to_reader(transmute(io.Stream)os.stdin.stream))
 
 	LISTEN: for {
 		msg_header: Msg_Type
@@ -26,13 +27,14 @@ run_client :: proc(host_addr: net.Endpoint) {
 			action := bufio.scanner_text(&scanner)
 			net.send(serv, transmute([]byte)action)
 		case .State_Update:
-			view, recv_err := receive_view(serv)
+			view, recv_err := receive_view(serv, context.temp_allocator)
 			if recv_err != nil do panic(fmt.tprintln("failed to receive view", recv_err))
 			render_view(view)
 		case .Info:
 			unimplemented()
 		}
 		free_all(context.temp_allocator)
+		break LISTEN // ONLY 1 LOOP
 	}
 }
 
@@ -43,13 +45,14 @@ receive_view :: proc(
 	view: Player_View,
 	err: net.Network_Error,
 ) {
+	fmt.println("receiving view...")
 	// constant header
 	header_size := offset_of(Player_View, cards)
 	net.recv(serv, (cast([^]byte)&view)[:header_size]) or_return
 	// body of cards
-	body_data := make([]Card, view.num_cards)
-	body := raw_data(view.cards[:])[:view.num_cards * size_of(Card)]
-	net.recv(serv, transmute([]byte)body) or_return
+	view.cards = make([]Card, view.num_cards)
+	net.recv(serv, slice.reinterpret([]byte, view.cards)) or_return
+	fmt.println("successfully received view!")
 	return
 }
 
@@ -61,7 +64,7 @@ render_view :: proc(view: Player_View) {
 	for p in 0 ..< view.constant.num_players - 1 {
 		fmt.printfln("\tplayer %d's hand:", p)
 		for c in view.cards {
-			if c._player == p do fmt.println("\t\t", c)
+			if c._player == p do fmt.println("\t\t", c.value, c.color)
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/game.odin b/src/game.odin
index 0db963e..b428081 100644
--- a/src/game.odin
+++ b/src/game.odin
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@ import "core:math/rand"
 VALUES :: []u8{1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5}
 
 COLORS :: enum u8 {
-	RED     = 0b000001,
-	GREEN   = 0b000010,
-	WHITE   = 0b000100,
-	BLUE    = 0b001000,
-	YELLOW  = 0b010000,
-	RAINBOW = 0b100000,
+	RED,
+	GREEN,
+	WHITE,
+	BLUE,
+	YELLOW,
+	RAINBOW,
 }
 
 Card :: bit_field u8 {
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ init_beliefs :: proc(
 ) -> []Belief_State {
 	player_beliefs: [dynamic]Belief_State
 	for p in 0 ..< num_players {
-		bs: Belief_State
+		bs := make(Belief_State, hand_size)
 		for c in 0 ..< hand_size {
 			bs[c].value = 0b11111
 			bs[c].color = 0b111111
diff --git a/src/server.odin b/src/server.odin
index ba69d4a..fe6f93a 100644
--- a/src/server.odin
+++ b/src/server.odin
@@ -26,27 +26,27 @@ run_server :: proc(listen_addr: net.Endpoint, num_players: int, num_hints: int,
 		for i in 0 ..< num_players {
 			view := create_view_from_game(g, i, context.temp_allocator)
 			send_err := send_payload(comm[i], {.State_Update, view})
-			if send_err != nil do panic("failed to send payload")
+			if send_err != nil do panic(fmt.tprintln("failed to send payload:", send_err))
 		}
 
 		fmt.printfln("player %d's turn!", current_player)
 
-		// for p in g.players {
-		// 	fmt.println()
-		// 	for c in p.hand {
-		// 		fmt.println(c.value, c.color)
-		// 	}
-		// }
-
-		action: Action
-		POKE: for {
-			poke_err := send_poke(comm[current_player])
-			if poke_err != nil do panic(fmt.tprintfln("failed to poke player %d; %s", current_player, poke_err))
-			// action, is_valid := receive_action(w.sockets[current_player])
-			// if is_valid do break POKE
-			fmt.println("invalid action received. try again.")
+		for hand in g.player_hands {
+			fmt.println()
+			for card in hand {
+				fmt.println(card.value, card.color)
+			}
 		}
-		perform_action(&g, action)
+
+		// action: Action
+		// POKE: for {
+		// 	poke_err := send_poke(comm[current_player])
+		// 	if poke_err != nil do panic(fmt.tprintfln("failed to poke player %d; %s", current_player, poke_err))
+		// 	// action, is_valid := receive_action(w.sockets[current_player])
+		// 	// if is_valid do break POKE
+		// 	fmt.println("invalid action received. try again.")
+		// }
+		// perform_action(&g, action)
 		current_player = (current_player + 1) % num_players
 		free_all(context.temp_allocator)
 		break GAME_LOOP
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ create_comm_world :: proc(
 	comm: Comm_World,
 	err: net.Network_Error,
 ) {
-	w := make([dynamic]net.TCP_Socket, num_conn)
+	w: [dynamic]net.TCP_Socket
 	fmt.printfln("waiting for players (%d)...", num_conn)
 	for len(w) < num_conn {
 		client_sock, source := net.accept_tcp(listener) or_return
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ Msg_Type :: enum u8 {
 	Info,
 }
 
-Player_View :: struct #packed {
+Player_View :: struct {
 	constant:   bit_field u8 {
 		num_players: u8 | 3,
 		hand_size:   u8 | 3,