Rock Paper Scissors, the beloved game to decide many trivial disputes, is more than just a game of chance. There are surefire ways of beating your opponent every single time.
You could stick to flipping coins or drawing straws, but let’s be honest: There’s no fun in that. You might find yourself being shredded by scissors, crushed by rock or smothered by paper (or cloth, as seen in the Ip Man movies) on more occasions than you care to remember.
No more, I say! If you want to beat your opponent, you need to realize that Rock Paper Scissors is more than just a game of luck. Oh no, its a match of strategy and observation.
Finger Magic:
Right before each player reveals his move, take a close but quick look at their fingers. If your opponent’s fist is clenched, he’s more than likely getting ready to throw Rock. No tense fist suggest he’s thinking about Paper; and if only the top two fingers are tense, you can expect him to throw Scissors.
Rock and Roll:
When playing against guys, keep in mind that most men choose Rock for the first round. Throw him off guard by going with Paper instead.
Mind Games:
If your opponent threw Rock, chances are he’ll produce Paper next. If he chose Paper for his first round, he is more than likely to throw Scissors next. Why? People tend to subconsciously throw the move would have beaten their last throw. Anticipate that and counter with the opposite.
Playing against a PRO:
You might find yourself being the noob in this battle, don’t despair. Statistics show that experienced players will use Paper against newbies. Go with Scissors. You’ll still have two rounds left and nothing to lose. Speaking of statistics, it might help to know that Rock and Scissors are preferred and thrown 35% of the time, while Paper is thrown 29%
Alternatively, you could go the Sheldon route:
When Sheldon and Raj can’t decide between Babylon 5 or Deep Space 9, Raj suggests they play Rock Paper Scissors. Sheldon matter of factly states that anecdotal evidence suggests players familiar with each other tie 80% of the time due to limited number of outcomes. Why not play Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock (invented by Sam Kass in 2005)
Sheldon: “It’s very simple. Scissors cuts paper, paper covers rock, rock crushes lizard, lizard poisons Spock, Spock smashes scissors, scissors decapitates lizard, lizard eats paper, paper disproves Spock, Spock vaporizes rock, and—as it always has—rock crushes scissors”
Its actually quite balanced, as each expansion has two outcomes: Spock can smash Lizard and vaporize Rock; Lizard can poison Spock and eat Paper. Spock can be disproved by paper and poisoned by Lizard; while Lizard can be crushed by Rock and decapitated by Scissors. Poor Lizard…
Be master of your moves; never again will you have to hide your embarrassment at being crushed, smothered or shredded. Or, Why not play against yourself with the RPS single player Glove?
Via: Chacha
