Rock Paper Scissors - How to play the game
Rock paper scissors is a popular game played with your hands. It can be used as a method of selecting something at home or to make a decision on something and is similar to using coins to flip, playing Odd or Even, throwing dice or to even draw straws.
There are many sports which use rock paper scissors to help determine which team will get the opening play of the game. It is also often used as a way to create non-biased results which are random in live action role-playing games because it doesn’t require any equipment.
Rock paper scissors is played by two players. They count together and will say “One, two, break!”, “One, two, three, Shoot!”, or “Rock paper scissors, shoot!” and while they say this, both players should bounce their fists simultaneously. When they get to the part of “Shoot!” or “Go”, the players have to choose one of the objects of rock paper scissors and change the shape of their fist into that object. This is done by either clenching the fit (rocks), extending all fingers with the palm facing downwards, upwards or sideways (papers), or the forefinger and middle finger extended and separated into a “V” shape which is course is the obvious symbol. The object of rock paper scissors is to win over the opponent by selecting a “weapon” which will defeat the choice of their opponent. This is done based on these rules:
- Rocks smash the scissor (or breaks or blunts them)
- The scissor cuts papers
- Papers cover rocks
If the two choose the same weapon, they tie and the players play rock paper scissors again. Usually, a game is played in a “best two out of three” game.
There is another version of rock paper scissors that originated in Japan, which is known as Janken. It varies slightly from the American version in that the clenched first is called “gu,” the flat hand is called “pa,” and the two-finger V-shape is called “choki.” In the Japanese version, it begins with both players saying the phrase “saisho wa gu” at the same time. This means “first is fist” and the extend a gu hand which means the exchange can begin. Then both players pull their hands back slowly while saying “jan ken” and then on the word “poi” they throw the gu, pa or choki. If both players throw the same, they say “aiko desho” which means “it’s a tie.”