Am having bit of writiers block about how to fix this error. Its a assignment for college so am really just looking for tip or pointer in right direction.
Its a simple card game similar to poker.

Card.java

package pokerpkg;

public class Card 
{
	//Codes for the suits
	public final static int SPADES = 0, HEARTS = 1, CLUBS = 2, DIAMONDS = 3;

	//Codes for the non-numeric cards. Cards from 2 - 10 will have there numeric values as there code
	public final static int ACE = 0, JACK = 10, QUEEN = 11, KING = 12;

	//The suit of this card. Will be one the constants SPADE, HEARTS, CLUBS, or DIAMONDS
	private final int suit;

	//The value of this card, from 1 - 13.
	private final int value;
	
	public Card(int theValue, int theSuit)
	{
		//This will construct a card with a value between 1 and 13 and a suit between 0 and 3
		//If the card is outside these parameters it is invalid

		value = theValue;
		suit = theSuit;

	}//End Card
	
	public int getSuit()
	{
		//Returns the code of the suit
		return suit;

	}//End getSuit

	public int getValue()
	{
		//Return the code of the value
		return value;
	}//End getValue

	public String suitToString()
	{
		//Returns a string of the cards suit
		switch(suit)
		{
			case SPADES: return "Spades";
			case HEARTS: return "Hearts";
			case CLUBS: return "Clubs";
			case DIAMONDS: return "Diamonds";
			default: return "Invalid suit";
		}//End Switch
	}//End suitToString

	public String valueToString()
	{
		//Returns a string of the cards value

		switch(value)
		{
			case 0: return "Ace";
			case 1: return "2";
			case 2: return "3";
			case 3: return "4";
			case 4: return "5";
			case 5: return "6";
			case 6: return "7";
			case 7: return "8";
			case 8: return "9";
			case 9: return "10";
			case 10: return "Jack";
			case 11: return "Queen";
			case 12: return "King";
			default : return "Invalid value";
		}//End Switch
	}//End valueToString

	//Produces string of the cards value and suit
	public String cardToString()
	{
		return valueToString() + " of " + suitToString();
	}
	
	//Method to pick random card using math.random
	public Card pick()
	{
		double rand_suit = Math.random()*3;
		double rand_value = Math.random()*12;
		
		//Casting the random values into integers to suit the Card Constructor
		Card c = new Card((int)rand_value, (int)rand_suit);
		Card[] hand = new Card[4];
	
		
		if(c == hand[0] || c == hand[1] || c == hand[2] || c == hand[3])
		{
			c.pick();
			return c;
		}
		else
		{
			return c ;
		}
		
	}

	
}

CardSet.java
(This is pretty much hand class but have call it cardset for the assignment)

package pokerpkg;

public class CardSet
{
	Card[] cardSet;
	
	public CardSet()
	{
		cardSet = new Card[4];
	}
	
	//Set a card at a position in the hand
	public void setCard(int position, Card c)
	{
		cardSet[position] = c;
	}
	
	//Function to pick four cards using the pick function from the card class
	public void deal()
	{
		for(int i = 0; i<4; i++)
		{
			cardSet[i].pick();
		}
	}
	
	//Change the card at a position to null and removed from the hand
	public void removeCard(int position)
	{
		cardSet[position] = null;
	}
	
	//Replaces a card using the pick function from the card class
	public void replaceCard(int position)
	{
		cardSet[position].pick();
	}
	//Returns card from certain position
	public Card getCard(int position)
	{
		return cardSet[position];
	}
	
	//Function to display the hand as a string
	public void display()
	{
		for(int i = 0; i<4; i++)
		{
			System.out.println(cardSet[i].cardToString());
		}
	}
	

		
}

CardGame.java
(This class is the GUI, the doDeal function is the problem i'm having i amen't sure how to start the game when the deal button is pressed)

package pokerpkg;

import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;




public class CardGame extends JFrame implements ActionListener 
{
	JPanel cpane, scorePanel, buttonPanel;
	CardPanel cardPanel;
	JLabel handScore, totalScore;
	JButton deal, secondDeal;
	CardSet hand;
	
	public CardGame()
	{
		setTitle("Simple Poker Game");
		setSize(800, 800);
		setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
		setContentPane(CreateContent());
		setVisible(true);
	}
	
	public Container CreateContent()
	{
		cpane = new JPanel(new BorderLayout());
		cpane.setBackground(Color.green);
		
		scorePanel = new JPanel();
		scorePanel.setBackground(Color.green);
		
		cardPanel = new CardPanel();
		cardPanel.setLayout(new GridLayout(1,4));
		cardPanel.setBackground(Color.green);
		
		buttonPanel = new JPanel();
		buttonPanel.setBackground(Color.green);
		
		handScore = new JLabel("Hand Score: ");
		
		totalScore = new JLabel("Total Score: ");
		
		deal = new JButton("Deal");
		deal.addActionListener(this);
		
		secondDeal = new JButton("Second Deal");
		secondDeal.addActionListener(this);
		
		buttonPanel.add(deal);
		buttonPanel.add(secondDeal);
		cpane.add(buttonPanel, BorderLayout.WEST);
		cpane.add(scorePanel, BorderLayout.NORTH);
		cpane.add(cardPanel, BorderLayout.CENTER);
		return cpane;
	}
	


	
	public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) 
	{
		Object objectUsed = e.getSource();
		if(objectUsed instanceof JButton)
		{
			if(e.getSource() == deal)
			{
				doDeal();
			}
		}
		
		
	}

	private void doDeal() 
	{
		hand = new CardSet();
		hand.deal();
		repaint();
		
	}
	
	

}

CardPanel.java
(This is a subclass of JPanel specific for the cards including the images been loaded and picking out from sprite sheet)

package pokerpkg;

import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.awt.Graphics;
import java.awt.Image;
import java.awt.Toolkit;
import java.net.URL;

import javax.swing.JPanel;

public class CardPanel extends JPanel {
	Image cardImage;
	CardSet hand;
	
	public CardPanel()
	{
		loadImage();
		setBackground(Color.green);
		setPreferredSize(new Dimension(15+4*(15+79), 185));
	}
	public void paint(Graphics g)
	{
		super.paint(g);
		if(cardImage == null)
		{
			g.drawString("Error: Can't get card images!", 10,30);
			return;
		}
		for(int i =0; i<4; i++)
		{
			drawCard(g, hand.getCard(i),15 + i * (15+79), 15);
		}
	}
	
	public void drawCard(Graphics g, Card card, int x, int y)
	{
		int cx;
		int cy;
		if(card == null)
		{
			 cy = 4*123;   // Cords for a face-down card.
	         cx = 2*79;
		}
		else
		{
			cx = (card.getValue()-1)*79;
			switch(card.getSuit())
			{
			case Card.CLUBS:
				cy = 0;
				break;
			case Card.DIAMONDS:
				cy = 123;
				break;
			case Card.HEARTS:
				cy = 2*123;
				break;
			case Card.SPADES:
				cy = 3*123;
				break;
			default:
				cy = 3*123;
			}
		}
		g.drawImage(cardImage, x, y, x+79, y+123, cx, cy, cx+79, cy+123, this);
	}
	
	private void loadImage()
	{
		ClassLoader c1 = CardGame.class.getClassLoader();
		URL imageURL = c1.getResource("cards.png");
		if(imageURL != null)
		{
			cardImage = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().createImage(imageURL);
		}
	}

}

Console error

Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-0" java.lang.NullPointerException
	at pokerpkg.CardSet.deal(CardSet.java:23)
	at pokerpkg.CardGame.doDeal(CardGame.java:80)
	at pokerpkg.CardGame.actionPerformed(CardGame.java:70)
	at javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.AbstractButton$Handler.actionPerformed(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.fireActionPerformed(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.setPressed(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicButtonListener.mouseReleased(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Unknown Source)
	at javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseEvent(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.Component.processEvent(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.Container.processEvent(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(Unknown Source)
	at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(Unknown Source)

Sorry for no comments in the last two classes just been deleted and re-writing alot trying to get this to work.
Cheers for any help

private void loadImage() {
        cardImage = new ImageIcon(getClass().getResource("cards.png")).getImage();
    }

hand was null!

public CardPanel() {
        hand = new CardSet();
        loadImage();
        setPreferredSize(new Dimension(15 + 4 * (15 + 79), 185));
    }

cardSet was null!

public CardSet() {
        cardSet = new Card[4];
        Random r = new Random();
        cardSet[0] = new Card(r.nextInt(4), r.nextInt(13));
        cardSet[1] = new Card(r.nextInt(4), r.nextInt(13));
        cardSet[2] = new Card(r.nextInt(4), r.nextInt(13));
        cardSet[3] = new Card(r.nextInt(4), r.nextInt(13));
    }
private void doDeal() {
        cardPanel.ahoy();
       // hand = new CardSet();
       // hand.deal();
        repaint();
    }
void ahoy() {
        hand = new CardSet();
        hand.deal();
    }

pointer in right direction is OOP, MVC, separate GUI

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