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Earlier this month, our YouTube Hunter found some riveting rock-paper-scissors footage. Today, Rocketboom has more, including classic interviews with the world’s best RPS athletes.
(That’s right, I said RPS. If you want to sound like an insider at the upcoming World RPS Championships, you should too.)
Want to play like a champion, and compete for the $10,000 prize? From the World RPS Society:
Contrary to what you might think RPS is not simply a game of luck or chance. While it is true that from a mathematical perspective the ‘optimum’ strategy is to play randomly, it still is not a winning strategy for two reasons.
First, ‘optimum’ in this case means you should win, lose and draw an equal number of times (hardly a winning strategy over the long term). Second, Humans, try as they might, are terrible at trying to be random, in fact often humans in trying to approximate randomness become quite predictable. So knowing that there is always something motivating your opponent’s actions, there are a couple of tricks and techniques that you can use to tip the balance in your favour.
The top secrets to winning at RPS — courtesy of Graham Walker, Director of Management of the World RPS Society — are after the jump.
1 - Rock is for Rookies
In RPS circles a common mantra is “Rock is for Rookies” because males have a tendency to lead with Rock on their opening throw. It has a lot to do with idea that Rock is perceived as “strong” and forceful”, so guys tend to fall back on it. Use this knowledge to take an easy first win by playing Paper. This tactic is best done in pedestrian matches against someone who doesn’t play that much and generally won’t work in tournament play.
2 - Scissors on First
The second step in the ‘Rock is for Rookies’ line of thinking is to play scissors as your opening move against a more experienced player. Since you know they won’t come out with rock (since it is too obvious), scissors is your obvious safe move to win against paper or stalemate to itself.
3 - The Double Run
When playing with someone who is not experienced at the RPS, look out for double runs or in other words, the same throw twice. When this happens you can safely eliminate that throw and guarantee yourself at worst a stalemate in the next game. So, when you see a two-Scissor run, you know their next move will be Rock or Paper, so Paper is your best move. Why does this work? People hate being predictable and the perceived hallmark of predictability is to come out with the same throw three times in row.
4 - Telegraph Your Throw
Tell your opponent what you are going to throw and then actually throw what you said. Why? As long as you are not playing someone who actually thinks you are bold enough to telegraph your throw and then actually deliver it, you can eliminate the throw that beats the throw you are telegraphing. So, if you announce rock, your opponent won’t play paper which means coming out with that scissors will give you at worst a stalemate and at best the win.
5 - Step Ahead Thinking
Don’t know what to do for your next throw? Try playing the throw that would have lost to your opponents last throw? Sounds weird but it works more often than not, why? Inexperienced (or flustered) players will often subconsciously deliver the throw that beat their last one. Therefore, if your opponent played paper, they will very often play Scissors, so you go Rock. This is a good tactic in a stalemate situation or when your opponent lost their last game. It is not as successful after a player has won the last game as they are generally in a more confident state of mind which causes them to be more active in choosing their next throw.
6 - Suggest A Throw
When playing against someone who asks you to remind them about the rules, take the opportunity to subtly “suggest a throw” as you explain to them by physically showing them the throw you want them to play. ie “Paper beats Rock, Rock beats scissors (show scissors), Scissors (show scissors again) beats paper.” Believe it or not, when people are not paying attention their subconscious mind will often accept your “suggestion”. A very similar technique is used by magicians to get someone to take a specific card from the deck.
7 - When All Else Fails Go With Paper
Haven’t a clue what to throw next? Then go with Paper. Why? Statistically, in competition play, it has been observed that scissors is thrown the least often. Specifically, it gets delivered 29.6% of the time, so it slightly under-indexes against the expected average of 33.33% by 3.73%. Obviously, knowing this only gives you a slight advantage, but in a situation where you just don’t know what to do, even a slight edge is better than none at all.
8 - The Rounder’s Ploy
This technique falls into more of a ‘cheating’ category, but if you have no honour and can live with yourself the next day, you can use it to get an edge. The way it works is when you suggest a game with someone, make no mention of the number of rounds you are going to play. Play the first match and if you win, take it is as a win. If you lose, without missing a beat start playing the ‘next’ round on the assumption that it was a best 2 out of 3. No doubt you will hear protests from your opponent but stay firm and remind them that ‘no one plays best of one for a kind of decision that you two are making’. No this devious technique won’t guarantee you the win, but it will give you a chance to battle back to even and start again.
And if that’s too hard to remember, here are some ways to cheat.
We used to play with another item called dynamite which was a thumbs-up sign. Dynamite beat rock (blows it up) but was beaten by scissors (they cut the wick) and I can’t remember what happened with paper - I think it beat paper too.
And I once had a girlfriend who introduced a an item she called “well” which was basically a an almost clenched fist (with a hole in the middle).
It took me about 10 rounds to work out that well beat everything else…
posted by Mark on 4-16-2007 at 3:32 am
“First, ‘optimum’ in this case means you should win, lose and draw an equal number of times (hardly a winning strategy over the long term).”
That’s not really what “optimum” means. It’s optimum when both players are playing the best they can, in which case, the expected outcome is a net gain/loss of zero. Both players would be randomizing in that situation.
When one player is not playing a random strategy, then that pattern can be exploited; optimum play would be to exploit that pattern.
The reason random play can be considered optimum in a general sense is that to not play randomly is to create an exploitable pattern; i.e., the non-randomizing player sets herself up to be taken advantage of.
Notice that with the exception of suggestions 7 & 8, all the reasoning is on par with the Sicilian’s reasoning in “The Princess Bride.” Suggestion 7 will simply change as the level of play improves, and suggestion 8 is just another statement of “quit while you’re ahead.” And note that suggestion 8, if you’re playing against a randomizer, will do you no good about 64% of the time, IIRC, if you lose on the first round. (See Epstein’s “Theory of Gambling & Statistical Logic.”)
posted by John on 4-16-2007 at 9:20 am
marc,
Paper beats the well because it “covers it”
posted by Pat on 4-16-2007 at 10:30 am
Paper beats Dynamite because it “smothers the fuse”.
posted by Ted on 4-16-2007 at 1:27 pm
After reading this article, I decided to play against a few of my co-workers in a “best 3 out of 5″ manner.
It was sorta embarassing, but I lost seven games in a row. I’ll have to re-read the article, because I employed most of the strategies and logic contained herein.
Woe to my poor rock playing!
posted by mintred on 4-16-2007 at 4:20 pm
dynamite beats rock
rock beats scissors
scissors beats dynamite
There is no paper in this setup.
posted by Andy on 4-16-2007 at 5:55 pm
When I was a kid, a few of us had a “secret” weapon. Rain. Rain beats everything. Rusts scissors, erodes rock, and disentigrates paper. Boy were we stupid because we would sit for 10 minuts going rain, rain, rain….
posted by Jenn on 4-16-2007 at 9:24 pm
Actually, I’ve always seen paper beat by dynamite because it catches fire.
posted by JB on 4-16-2007 at 10:09 pm
I always use rock for 2 out of three matches. Usually what happens is i lose the first draw, and win the next two. Nobody expects rock 3 times in a row.
posted by bigbird on 4-16-2007 at 11:08 pm
we had rain and fire (paper,scissors and rock too), was pretty funny
posted by dectus on 4-17-2007 at 5:31 am
Rock paper scissors is too simplistic…
umop.com/rps.htm
posted by Austin on 4-17-2007 at 1:25 pm
Rock, pipe, lighter…
posted by doobie on 4-17-2007 at 1:42 pm
Use REAL Rock, Paper, and Scissors. Choose either Rock or Scissors (Paper is lame for this game). When the opponent motions downward with his choice, YOU motion DIRECTLY AT HIM!! Stab with Scissors or crush his puppy skull with Rock. Either way, you are the lone survivor, so obviously you win on the first and only pass. If he does not die immediately, administer the Coup De Grace with your weapon of choice. It is the Noble thing to do.
posted by JewMangi on 4-17-2007 at 9:05 pm
Believe it or not, RPS is not “too simplistic.” It’s actually a perfectly balanced game that can incorporate everything from mathematics to psychology, depending on who’s playing.
Most of your fighting games are actually based on a RPS system.
sirlin.net/archive/rock-paper-scissors/
nb109
posted by nb109 on 4-17-2007 at 9:30 pm
For some reason Roshambo (RPS) is a counting game for me. After 2 throws I know your strategy and I know what you’re gonna throw next.
Hustlers forever!
posted by Carrie on 4-17-2007 at 9:44 pm
hahaha you crackhead
posted by cheezehog on 4-18-2007 at 5:23 am
is it an english thing to call it paper scisiors stone? exactly the same rules, different name
posted by vicki on 4-18-2007 at 7:41 am
Best three out of five? Sissies! Best out of twenty surely, cos then you can do loads of them really quickly and crank up the tension…
posted by emma on 4-18-2007 at 8:43 am
rock beats everything. No, wait……
posted by nick on 4-18-2007 at 12:52 pm
Is this not just a kids game? A little surprised you are all taking it so seriously yet appear to be intelligent adults.
I always lost this game, but maybe if we played, plutonium, lead, blast furnace, vaccum it could cause a stir.
posted by Cloned on 4-18-2007 at 1:40 pm
Used to play RPS at night in bed in the dark with my Girlfriend. Made her tell what she had first. I always won. Best strategy ever! Doesn’t work too long though, although she is blond.
posted by Marc on 4-18-2007 at 3:41 pm
my husband and i have been playing once a day since reading this and it is highly competitive full throttle rock paper scissors. it’s hilarious, we both throw the same all the time so they go on forever. whoever wins is the champion until rematch the next day. and of course the loser is the LOSER until they win again… so sad.
posted by the champion on 4-19-2007 at 4:56 pm
We had “well” to (amongst scissors, rock and paper).
Paper wraps Rock, covers Well, but is cut by Scissors.
Rock bents Scissors, falls into Well and is wrapped by Paper.
Scissors cut Paper, are bent by Rock, fall into Well.
Well wins over Scissors and Rock (fall into it), but is covered by Paper.
So there’s two “strong” ones and two week tools in our version of the game.
posted by Warnschild on 4-20-2007 at 1:20 am
rock paper sisors
posted by vdcvfddd on 4-24-2007 at 2:54 pm
You can cheat if you use atomic bomb (as long as you do not tell anyone you are using it!) - it beats everything!
posted by Evo on 4-25-2007 at 7:27 am
Wow haha. This was rather comical lol. I can’t believe someone put so much thought into this. The telegraph your throw move makes a lot of sense though.
posted by Motorcycle Guy on 4-27-2007 at 12:56 pm
The version I like is Bear-Hunter-Woman. Opponents stand back to back and count to three and then jump turn to face each other posing as one of the three. The woman does a model pose, the bear has his claws in the air, and the hunter is aiming a gun. The bear kills the woman, the hunter kills the bear, and the woman kills the man. It’s like a physical activity. People really get into their poses. It’s a must-try activity!
posted by Shambala on 4-27-2007 at 1:19 pm
atomic bomb looses to cockroach… they survive the bomb & aliens only though…. but still
posted by trouble on 5-1-2007 at 1:53 am
I play the cockroach A-bomb foot
only problem is that if the roach loses to the foot why cant it lose to an atom bomb???? Weird…
posted by spider monkey on 5-6-2007 at 12:55 pm
I can understand how Rock can smash scissors and scissors can cut paper, but Paper beat rock? No Way!
I dare you to hold a piece of paper up in front of your face and I will take my rock and throw it and watch it smash through your paper right into your face.
posted by Xeno on 6-16-2007 at 2:39 pm
Jason, you have opened my eyes. I love this friggin game. And definitely see how random isn’t really random. I’ve been kicking ass lately at this game!
It’s been such an addiction I needed an easy way to play friends online.
posted by easyrps.com on 6-21-2007 at 3:21 pm
re:#1
Dude! I bet you’re still playing Roshambo if it took you ten tries to figure out what you have to stick in your girlfriend’s well…
No wonder she’s playing with someone else now!
posted by smarty_pants on 6-22-2007 at 5:48 pm
when you use dynamite, argue with the logic that “you must state BEFORE engaging in the game of Rock Paper Scissors that dynamite will not be acceptable”. most get sorta flustered…
posted by emily on 7-12-2007 at 10:00 am
Of course roaches will survive an atomic bomb! And have you ever tried to crush a roach with your foot? Half the time they get up and run away while shooting you the bird. About the only sure way to get rid of one is by flushing and that may not kill them but at least they’re out of the house.
So, Roach beats A Bomb, A Bomb beats Toilet, and Toilet beats Roach.
posted by WithaK on 7-16-2007 at 10:35 am
I had to forward this to my co-workers. I’m sure I just slowed down production at my company due to the inevitable games of RPS that are going to get played…
posted by Chris on 7-16-2007 at 12:42 pm
Our version of RPS is Rock, Potato, Snowball. Rock smashes potato, potato melts snowball, snowball covers rock. Potato and snowball are made just like rock, i.e. a fist. Teach it to your kids, for some reason they’ll think it’s hilarious and keep playing over and over…
posted by O.T. on 7-16-2007 at 7:58 pm
I play this way: Pacman, Ghost, Big Tablet. Pacman beats big tablet, Big tablet beats ghost (because then pacman can eat the ghosts) And Ghost beats pacman.
Also, If your stuck, volcano beats everything
posted by Nacho on 7-18-2007 at 4:47 pm
This is a great tutorial thanks!r
posted by Amanda on 8-24-2007 at 4:57 pm
What is another name for ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ that starts with ‘g’?
posted by Kerry on 9-5-2007 at 7:46 pm
My version of RPS is Fire,Dollar,Shop.
Fire Dollar Shop
Shop Fire Dollar
This is around 2 out of 5
posted by Zom Bwrk on 9-22-2007 at 10:28 am
My versions of RPS is Hammer, Net, Scissors.
The hammer crushes the scissors, the scissors cut the net and the net catches the hammer.
posted by Zap on 9-23-2007 at 10:49 am
My german friend says that in Germany they call it “Shnick, Shnack, Schnook” or something similiar. That’s the gamne that includes well.
It goes
Rock > Scissors > Leaflet (paper) > Well
Leaflet covers well, but rock and scissors sink in the well.
I dunno what impact this has on the maths of the game, but it’s the only version she’ll play!
posted by Rarms on 12-28-2007 at 11:14 am
The Japanese name is Jan Ken Po, and you may have thought that the J was pronounced as a Gm but it is aa Jack
posted by Chuck on 1-16-2008 at 6:57 pm
Thanks for this article, now i will be a champion. Also i have fond a lot of information about RPS on loadingvault.com
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