Quick rock paper scissors question

[Howard Treesong]

I once got in a massive fight over vertical paper. In something like a $20 match, I had thrown a vertical paper and my opponent, having thrown rock, claimed I was DQ'd. I stood my ground until we were screaming at one another and poking one another in the chest. I then walked away ahead but never got paid.

As much as I hate to admit it, I'm with Yeti on this one. That said, I usually clarify whether VP is OK before any given RPS match.

I hereby officially challenge El D to an RPS match the next time I'm in SF. Fear me, foe!

[Yeti]

Howard,

Why the reluctance to agree with me?! [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[Howard Treesong]

[ QUOTE ]
Howard,

Why the reluctance to agree with me?! [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Because you're not from the USA, of course. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Aces McGee]

[ QUOTE ]
That said, I usually clarify whether VP is OK before any given RPS match.

[/ QUOTE ]

That you clarify vertical paper's acceptability before the match speaks volumes.

-McGee

[AquaSwing]

From the Advanced RPS:

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Some players choose to retain the services of a personal trainer. Experienced and talented trainers can be invaluable in building an RPS career, but beware of charlatans. There are many “trainers” available for hire who have never been either a competitor or referee and have no qualifications to speak of. Before you sign a contract, find out who you’re dealing with.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds a lot like poker.

From the FAQ:

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25. When in a RPS match against a perceived psychic what is the best strategy to adhere to.

This is rarely encountered, but should you find yourself in this situation, we would recommend that you practice your throws while thinking of the name of another throw. Instead of thinking of it by its rightful name think of it by the throw that beats it. Therefore, throw scissors- think rock, throw rock - think paper, etc. This results in the psychic "hearing" your intention to play a certain throw, they will react and throw the throw that beats it, all the while you are actually throwing the throw that beats your opponent's. Practice it enough and it will become second nature.
One caveat, this effect may become permanent and affect your playing style professionally.

[/ QUOTE ]

[censored] poker, this is my new favorite game.

[ElSapo]

RPS is a lot of fun when taken seriously. Or rather, when you pretend to take it seriously. When everything becomes farce.

I went to the RPS World Championships in Toronto with a bunch of friends a few years ago - just a blur of a drunken weekend. We did a lot of interviews with television and newspapers, all the while trying to maintain some facade of seriousness, discussing training and strategy and whatever.

At times, it was sort of surreal. I did a phone interview with the NYT (none of it was used), and the whole thing seemed like a contest of who can out-facetious the other person. The reporter would ask questions about strategy and training, and I was completely baffled as to whether she was being serious, or thought I was being serious. She clearly won that round.

RPS may or may not be a game of greater or less skill than tic tac toe. But talking about RPS, seriously, there's a fun game.

[Aces McGee]

[ QUOTE ]
The reporter would ask questions about strategy and training, and I was completely baffled as to whether she was being serious, or thought I was being serious

[/ QUOTE ]

I first stumbled upon that World RPS site in, I think, the late 1990s. Back then, the bulletin board was basically a very small community of people who took on these very detailed and official-sounding personas within the World RPS Society, discussing things as co-workers might via email. Occassionally, a stranger would wander by and post a question about, say, dynamite, and they'd always get an answer from the head of the Department of Theoretical Throws explaining that dynamite wasn't officially recognized.

The whole thing was extremely organized, like one person was posting under all the principles' accounts. Surreal is the word El Sapo used to describe it, and I think that's the right word. It was like a huge inside joke that everyone else was in on, except me.

The current board still has a lot of the same characters, but it's not as homogenous as it once was.

-McGee

[***]

Vertical paper is basically: