why is my code ignoring the fact there's no input yet, and repeating the function already

Question

The code is:

#include <iostream>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <time.h>
using namespace std;

int createCard() {
    if (rand() % 67 < 10)
        return 11;

    else
        return rand() % 10 + 1;
}

bool is_number(const std::string& s)
{
    string::const_iterator it = s.begin();
    while (it != s.end() && std::isdigit(*it)) ++it;
    return !s.empty() && it == s.end();
}

int ask4num(){
    string askq = "0";
    int reti;
    cout << "How many cards would you like to find today? ";
    getline (std::cin, askq);
    
    if(!is_number(askq)){
        cout << "Pick a number between 1 and 10. ";
        return ask4num();
    }
    
    reti = stoi(askq);
    
    if(reti > 10 || reti < 1){
        cout << "Pick and number between 1 and 10. ";
        return ask4num();
    }
    return reti;
}

int main() {
    srand(time(NULL));

    // game stats
    int playerWinning = true;
    int playerSkill = 9;
    int playerScore = 0;
    string playerName = "";
    int cardCount = 0;
    int cardsCollected = 0;

    // title
    cout << "Welcome to Baseball Card Collector." << endl << "Press [ENTER] to Start and Continue.";
    cin.get();

    // player name
    cout << "Please enter your name: ";
    cin >> playerName;
    
    // ask
    cardCount = ask4num();
    
    if (cardCount == 0){
    cout << "You searched for zero cards. You didn't even go outside. ";
    
    }
    
    else{
    cout << "You're in luck, " << playerName << ", you found exactly " << cardCount << " cards!" << endl;
    
    }

    // main game loop
    while (playerWinning && cardsCollected < cardCount) {
        // create a random card
        int cardRarity = createCard();

        // card player and check card
        if (cardRarity > 10) {
            cout << endl << "You found a Mickey Mantle card worth 500 bucks!" << endl;
                        playerScore = playerScore + 500;
        }
        else {
            cout << endl << "You found a card! " << cardsCollected + 1 << endl;
        }

        cout << "Checking Authenticity..." << endl;
        sleep(2);

        // fake card
        if (playerSkill < cardRarity) {
            playerWinning = false;
            cout << "You found a fake card!." << endl;
        }

        // real card
        else {
            if (playerSkill - cardRarity > 7) {
                cout << "You found a Michael Jordan card worth 25 bucks!" << endl;
                playerScore = playerScore + 25;
            }

            else if (playerSkill - cardRarity > 5) {
                cout << "You found a Mike Trout card worth 40 bucks!" << endl;
                playerScore = playerScore + 40;
            }

            else if (playerSkill - cardRarity > 0) {
                cout << "You found a Ken Griffey card worth 20 bucks!" << endl;
                playerScore = playerScore + 20;
            }

            else {
                cout << "You found another card, but it was too destroyed to make out the player." << endl;
            }

            cardsCollected++;
        }

        cout << endl;
        sleep(1);
    }

    //end game
    if (cardsCollected != cardCount){
        // lost
        cout << "You sold a fake card, and now the buyer is after you. Too bad!" << endl;
    }

    cout << "Cards Collected: " << cardsCollected << endl;
    cout << "Final payout: " << playerScore << endl << endl;
}

it is a game i created using a format of someone else's zombie game. i am a beginner to c++ and wanted to try to make my own thing but still have it framed right.

i started working on it and had my dad test it out for me doing stupid user things to make sure im prepared for every type of answer submitted.

    string askq = "0";
    int reti;
    cout << "How many cards would you like to find today? ";
    getline (std::cin, askq);
    
    if(!is_number(askq)){
        cout << "Pick a number between 1 and 10. ";
        return ask4num();
    }

this function^^^

is called here

 // ask
    cardCount = ask4num();

but whenever i run the code, it repeats itself and says

How many cards would you like to find today? Pick a number between 1 and 10. How many cards would you like to find today?

it is only supposed to repeat the "how many cards" part and say the "pick a number" part if you type in a response that isn't a digit.

for some reason it is saying the "pick a number" part and and repeating the question before there is even a response. it is suppose to wait for the cin, but instead repeats anyways.

any idea why this is so?

i apologize for my sloppy organization, this is the first thing ive made