Product Description

Rock Paper Scissors (RPS), the ultimate decision-making tool, is played the world over. By the late twentieth century, however, the sport's illustrious governing body, the World Rock Paper Scissors Society, had fallen on hard times. It was then that brothers Douglas and Graham Walker boldly took up the challenge to restore the World RPS Society to its former glory, and now they bring you the ultimate strategy guide to this time-honored game.

The Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide covers the whole RPS scene from the school yard to the pro level, including RPS culture around the world, the personality behind each throw, and secrets of the RPS masters. Learn how to intimidate your opponent and anticipate his next move. Get the answers to burning questions such as "Does Rock crush Scissors, or are Scissors dulled by Rock?" and "Who invented RPS?" Forget about flipping a coin or consulting your Magic 8 Ball -- Rock Paper Scissors is the only decision-making tool anyone needs.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #245775 in Books
• Published on: 2004-10-05
• Released on: 2004-10-05
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .49" h x 5.10" w x 7.04" l, .49 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Yes, Virginia, there is a world championship of that familiar childhood game (and that "most elegant and profound of all conflict-resolution processes," as the authors would have it). Rock Paper Scissors (RPS) and the Walker brothers aim to take you there. Beginning with a tongue-in-cheek history (ancient versions of the game, say the authors, included Japan’s Tiger, Warrior and Warrior’s Mother; Marco Polo ostensibly popularized Rock, Paper, Blade) and progressing through rules and proper hand positions (carefully illustrated by diagrams) and on to strategies and beyond, this faux-serious handbook divulges more information about the game than anyone would have thought possible. And RPS has its pleasures and uses beyond public championships and private decision-making, say the authors. They suggest adding spice to one’s love life by playing Strip RPS and teaching kids about probability through school-sponsored RPS clubs.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
Sven Jorgensen, national Swedish RPS champion 2001-2003 This book is every pro player's worst nightmare -- a compendium of the most powerful RPS strategies ever devised.

Simia Federico, Think Three magazine A triumph...at times I could barely believe what I was reading.

William Fong, noted RPS trainer and coach Whether your ambition is a world championship title or the last slice of pizza, this book will get you there.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter 3: Basic Strategies

In order to appreciate the subtle and sometimes profound tactics associated with Rock Paper Scissors, one must first understand the fact that strategy does indeed play a role in the game. Acceptance of this fact differentiates the unranked novice from the player of a higher order.

Rock Paper Scissors is, at its core, about making a selection. Better players make better choices. Players collect, interpret, and ignore information both prior to and during the match. They must then make their choices. In turn, their opponents analyze these choices. The result is a tangled dance of strategy and counterstrategy, one that can be difficult for the casual player to appreciate. This chapter is designed to give the novice player insight into the basic strategic precepts, as well as ammunition against RPS detractors.

One often hears, spewing from the gaping maws and vacant minds of the ill informed, that Rock Paper Scissors is merely a game of random or unpredictable outcome. While an understandable position for the small-minded (often referred to in RPS circles as "Coin Tossers," a reference to the mid-nineteenth century that highlights the rivalry between RPS players and enthusiasts of lesser games), this is a fallacy. Human beings are utterly incapable of acting in a purely random fashion, despite appearances. Everything we do has some motivation behind it. This is certainly not to say that humans are always rational or logical, only that there is some kernel of a reason nestled somewhere in the dark caverns of the brain.

Chaotic vs. Random

Chaos: Unpredictable and seemingly random behavior occurring in a system which should be governed by deterministic laws.

-Oxford Concise Science Dictionary

When considering the full range of an individual's behavior, it is difficult to predict what someone will do next. However, when we limit that behavior to those actions taken in the world of RPS, with its defined rules and three possible outcomes, making some educated guesses is possible. Even the layperson, once enlightened, can discern clues about an opponent's next play. So while RPS is not random, it is chaotic. This distinction is an important one: if a system is not truly random, then correct interpretation of information at hand can lead to a better chance of success.

The undulations of the stock market are considered chaotic because while they are governed by the easily understood principles of buying and selling; no one can tell with absolute certainty what will occur next. Despite the chaos, many traders have made successful careers interpreting the fluctuations accurately enough to generate significant profit. For the purposes of RPS, chaos means that if a player can correctly discern the exact state of his opponent's mind, as well as the process he uses to determine his next throw, then theoretically the player can correctly infer his opponent's next move. In contrast, random, from a mathematical perspective, means that an outcome happens without any predictability at all.

Contrary to popular belief, not even computers are capable of completely random behavior, either, since they operate according to a set of rules established by human beings. In 2003, the World RPS Society made a bold step by authorizing the entrance of a player guided by a computer program to compete at the World Championships. The computer program, called Deep Mauve, was used to supply the player with a series of throws in an attempt to better approximate randomness. As was predicted by many leading RPS mavens, the Deep Mauve team did not make it past the qualifying round. The failure of the computer has sent those few in the random-is-the-best-strategy camp scrambling to redefine their argument.

Human vs. Computer: Deep Mauve

In an effort to end the debate surrounding random strategies, the World RPS Society authorized the admission of a computer called Deep Mauve into the World Championships of Rock Paper Scissors. The computer program was developed by a leading science organization with the intention of having players actually play directly against the computer's display. This plan was deemed unacceptable by tournament officials. The counterproposal required the handler of the computer, Peter McMahon, to be the player, deferring to the computer to decide his next throw.

Deep Mauve gave a dismal performance and did not manage to progress past the qualifying round. The computer advised Mr. McMahon to deliver a suicidal Scissors/Rock combination in the second set, effectively resigning the match. This is a gaffe that even a beginner human player would not make. The failure of Deep Mauve to provide a real challenge to the human competitors did not come as a surprise to leading RPS theorists. Professor J. Emeritus of the Game Theory Department at the Smallsoa Foundation says, "Even if the program were capable of completely random throws, which I highly doubt, then its expectation over the long run is to win one-third, tie one-third, and lose one-third of all of its games. This means that any strategic insight, no matter how slight, would effectively beat the computer." Work on Deep Mauve version 2.0 appears to have been abandoned.

Chance in RPS

Much to the dismay of RPS-playing parents, many elementary-school teachers have used Rock Paper Scissors to illustrate probability. Probability refers to the chance of a particular outcome occurring within a defined set of possible variables. So, for example, there are three possible outcomes that result in an odd number when rolling a six-sided die: one, three, and five. There are six possible outcomes overall. Therefore the probability of rolling an odd number is three in six, or 50 percent, as long as we are not in a crooked casino. However, in RPS, all of the players are crooked, so to speak. Each will make a conscious choice of which throw to make with the express desire of humiliating his adversary. So to assign basic probability to an RPS match would be a grave error, unless the player's aspiration reaches only to a height of mediocrity.

Take, for example, this hypothetical question from a sixth-grade math test:

Question: Jimmy and Janie are playing a game of Rock Paper Scissors. Each can play only one of the three throws. What is the probability that Jimmy will play Rock next?

Answer: 1 in 3.

The above question displays a deplorable lack of knowledge regarding RPS game play. This pitiful explanation does not contain remotely enough information to make an accurate prediction. Is Jimmy a good player? Has he played against Janie before? Are they playing with two or three primes? What did Jimmy play last? Is Janie right- or left-handed? Does Jimmy have a tattoo? These are just a few of the factors that could drastically affect the outcome. Perhaps the question should more accurately include: "For the purposes of this asinine test, assume that Jimmy and Janie both suffer from a debilitating mental defect that renders them incapable of forming a coherent thought or retaining any memories." Ignorant questions such as the one listed above have no doubt robbed an entire generation of reaching their potential in the sport.

Aside from the demeaning notion that chance plays a role, RPS played by humans does not conform to the law of averages. Probability would dictate that over the long run roughly one-third of all of the throws ever made would be Rock, one-third Paper, and one-third Scissors. After careful observation of numerous championships, in which literally thousands of throws were made, the World RPS Society knows this not the case. This notion suggests a hidden agenda from educators claiming that RPS players have no intent in their throws.

Opening Moves

While the number of opening techniques is limited only by the imagination, the most common opening throws tend to result in Rock, Paper, or Scissors. Proper use of the opening move is crucial to success, and it can secure the advantage for the remainder of the match. Let us take each of the basic opening moves in turn:

Rock

Represented as it is by a closed fist, Rock is commonly perceived as the most aggressive throw. It taps into memories of fistfights, and it conjures up images of tall and unmoving mountains, rugged boulders, and the stone axe of the cavemen. Without realizing it, most players think of Rock as a weapon and will fall back on it for protection when other strategies appear to be failing.

On the other hand, use of Rock when on the offensive is a sign of overconfidence and an obvious attempt to intimidate an opponent. Among beginners in the sport, Rock is by far the most common opening throw. Rock is a powerful move that must be handled with finesse in order to avoid overextending oneself.

Rock also happens to be the most effortless of throws, and fast reactions are never required to employ it with success. By careful examination of the options and atmosphere of play, a well-placed Rock will render useless a carelessly thrown Scissors every time.

Paper

Paper is often considered the subtlest of the three throws. There is nothing aggressive about the limp documents that move across our desks and through our offices. Even the gesture used to represent Paper is peaceful -- an open palm much like the gesture used in a salute or a handshake. Historically, an open palm has been a sign of friendship and peace because an open hand cannot hold a weapon. Some players, who subconsciously perceive Paper as a sign of weakness or surrender, will shy away from using it entirely or will drop it from their game when they are falling behind.

On the other hand, Paper also connects with a player's perceptions about writing. There is quiet power in the printed word. It contains the ability to lay off thousands of employees, declare war against nations, spread scandal, or confess love. Paper, in short, has power over masses. The fate of the entire world is determined by print. As such, some players perceive Paper as a sub...