How To Win At Rock Paper Scissors

Rock Paper Scissors is usually played by two people - players simultaneously form one of three shapes with an outstretched hand. The rock beats scissors, scissors beat paper, and paper beats rock (if both players throw the same shape, the game is tied).

Hannah Fry of Numberphile explains how to win:

Want more? Priceonomics has an in-depth look at the World of Competitive Rock Paper Scissors, including lots of tips:

While the game dates back to B.C. times and clubs of serious Rock Paper Scissors (RPS) players have existed quietly for decades, a tournament in 2002 launched RPS on its path to being a sport that could compete with Darts, Poker, and Scrabble for ESPN airtime.  

In 2002, two brothers, Douglas and Graham Walker, rented a bar and held the first Rock Paper Scissors “world championship” in Toronto. Douglas says they “would have been happy if 25 [or] 30 of [their] friends came to drink beer and play for a big prize.” To their surprise, hundreds of people showed up. The next year, major media outlets like CNN covered the tournament. In 2006, Bud Light sponsored a tournament and offered a $50,000 cash prize.

While RPS advocates want to validate it as a serious pursuit, they also intend to have a good time. Many players compete in colorful costume (the Grahams’ Toronto tournaments have been called “a combination of Halloween [and] Mardi Gras -- really, a Star Trek convention with binge drinking”), and their nicknames are as much jokes as macho personalities. 

Read the whole thing.