Everything you need to play, track, and enjoy rock paper scissors.

Gameplay rules

Rock beats Scissors, Paper beats Rock, Scissors beats Paper

• If you choose Rock, you will win against Scissors but lose against Paper.

• If you choose Scissors, you will win against Paper but lose against Rock.

• If you choose Paper, you will win against Rock but lose against Scissors.

Scoring

A simple scoring method for the game is as follows:

• Win: 1 point

• Loss: 0 point

• Tie (Draw): 0 point (or 0.5 point, depending on preference)

• Best of 3 or best of 5 wins

Origin & History

• Ancient Chinese Roots > The earliest form of a "rock paper scissors"-style game, known as shoushiling, originated in China during the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD).

• Modern Version from Japan > The modern version with the rock, paper, and scissors gestures developed in Japan in the late 19th century and spread to the rest of the world in the early 20th century.

• Global Names > The game is known by many different names around the world, including "Roshambo" or "Rochambeau" in parts of North America, "Chi-fou-mi" in France (based on the Japanese words for "one, two, three"), and "Jak-en-poy" in the Philippines.

Psychology and Strategy

• Humans Aren't Random > Although the game is based on chance, human players tend to follow predictable patterns. For example, studies show that winners often stick with their winning move, while losers tend to switch to the next move in the sequence (rock to paper, paper to scissors, scissors to rock).

• "Rock is for Rookies" > Aggressive or inexperienced players ("rookies") often lead with rock as their first move. A common strategy is to play paper against a novice opponent to increase your chances of an early win.

• Gender Bias > Statistically, men are slightly more likely to throw rock as their first move, while women are more likely to throw scissors.

• The 100% Winning Robot > In 2012, researchers at the University of Tokyo created a robot hand that could win at Rock Paper Scissors every time. It used a high-speed camera to recognize the human opponent's hand shape within a millisecond and then make the winning counter-throw before the opponent could register what happened.

Real-World Applications

• Multi-Million Dollar Art Auction > In 2005, a Japanese CEO decided which of two prestigious auction houses (Christie's or Sotheby's) would get the rights to auction a multi-million dollar collection of Impressionist paintings by having them play a single game of Rock Paper Scissors. Christie's won with "scissors".

• A Court Order > In 2006, a U.S. Federal Judge in Florida, frustrated by opposing lawyers who couldn't agree on a minor detail in a lengthy court case, ordered them to settle the matter with a game of Rock Paper Scissors.

• Rob Krueger > Known as a world champion after defeating 320 competitors in a major tournament, winning $5,000 with a strategy dubbed "fistful of dollars". He has been featured on television shows like Ellen and Conan O'Brien.

Intresting facts