Rock, Paper, Scissors: Best first move?

[splashpot]

What is the strongest first move? Why do you choose this option? What strategy do you use after the first throw? How many moves ahead do you think?

[rwesty]

Obviously the one that beats the one that wins this poll.

[ethan]

Good ol' rock. Nothing beats that!

[Arnfinn Madsen]

[ QUOTE ]
Good ol' rock. Nothing beats that!

[/ QUOTE ]

I pick paper. 1-0 to me. Playing predictable is not smart in this game, son /images/graemlins/tongue.gif.

[newhizzle]

scissors is the obvious answer, if you are going to play this game successfully you must lean to use third level thinking

your opponent thinks you will choose rock and he will choose paper, therfore you must choose scissors, unless he is too smart for that and will choose rock, then paper is the correct answer

[ethan]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Good ol' rock. Nothing beats that!

[/ QUOTE ]

I pick paper. 1-0 to me. Playing predictable is not smart in this game, son /images/graemlins/tongue.gif.

[/ QUOTE ]
Apparently, the reference was too obscure.

http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q="Good+ol%27+rock%2E+Nothing+beats+that%21+"

The Simpsons were what got me started on this game.

[evil_twin]

I didn't answer, although I may give any old answer later to see the results.

But seriously, this game is all about your opponent. It is not a random game. The same few people win the RPS world championship each year. Seriously. If you need to decide something randomly, DO NOT use RPS to decide it, unless of course you know you have an edge over your opponent.

See this book (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0743267516/qid=1131277657/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-3875683-8448857?v=glance&s=books&n=507846).

Also, one throw is not enough. RPS should be played in bouts of three throws in quick succesion.

I won 30 quid (what maybe 45 bucks?) on Friday night playing this after going out for curry and beers. It paid for my evening.

PS Ethan please fix your link, you've broken the page /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Arnfinn Madsen]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Good ol' rock. Nothing beats that!

[/ QUOTE ]

I pick paper. 1-0 to me. Playing predictable is not smart in this game, son /images/graemlins/tongue.gif.

[/ QUOTE ]
Apparently, the reference was too obscure.



The Simpsons were what got me started on this game.

[/ QUOTE ]

So much effort in defending your loss instead of just accepting defeat /images/graemlins/tongue.gif. I offer you a rematch though, we send eachother a PM (as word of honor we don't open the one we receive until we have sent).

[splashpot]

Ethan and Arnfin, if you see this in time, please edit your posts to remove that link.

[Arnfinn Madsen]

I did now. It did not [censored] up my screen, why yours /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[newhizzle]

you guys can use read receipts to ensure the integrity of your match

[waffle]

I think most people use a somewhat random strategy except they are biased against choosing the same throw twice in a row. So if their last throw was scissors, I will choose paper this round.

[Arnfinn Madsen]

Wow, smart. Even a tourney could be organised that way (by PM though, not by mail as they can be read without issuing a receipt).

[MelK]

The way to be a consistent winner is to be the "house."


(The house wins all ties)

[Arnfinn Madsen]

I changed my location, hoping to provoke somebody into a game /images/graemlins/cool.gif.

[evil_twin]

You guys need to be playing in sets of three throws. So for example, "the avalance" is rock-rock-rock. "The bureaucrat", paper-paper-paper. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[MelK]

[ QUOTE ]
I changed my location, hoping to provoke somebody into a game /images/graemlins/cool.gif.

[/ QUOTE ]

Damn, you're good. I'm already behind, 0-1.

[Brom]

It depends on the personality of your opponent. Assuming he/she isn't some RSP pro, and is just an average person playing it for kicks/small bet settlements.

Stubborn, unwavering, aggressive opponents tend to lead out rock. Smart, cunning, think they are tricky, type opponents favour leading out scissors. Passive, quiet, yet secure with themself type opponents usually lead out paper.

Note that these stereotypes often work against opening moves only. People do tend to lean to that opening move a little more than they probabilisticly should during the course of a match, but it's hard to pick which spots they will use it in after the beginning. It's all about playing the player, not your own hand.

[Arnfinn Madsen]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I changed my location, hoping to provoke somebody into a game /images/graemlins/cool.gif.

[/ QUOTE ]

Damn, you're good. I'm already behind, 0-1.

[/ QUOTE ]


GG. Don't quit your day job /images/graemlins/tongue.gif.

[Arnfinn Madsen]

I concede defeat.

The new champion is

<font color="green"> DougShrapnel </font>

[DougShrapnel]

[ QUOTE ]
I concede defeat.

The new champion is

<font color="green"> DougShrapnel </font>

[/ QUOTE ]Bring it on folks.

[Diplomat]

No such thing, but generally against weaker players your first throw should be paper (since most weak players throw rock first). There are other things to consider though.

This year at the World RPS the best opening throw for me was rock, because most people seemed to think "Ok, he probably thinks I suck, so he's probably going to throw paper since rock is the most common first throw for new players, so
I'll throw scissors and catch him".

So, in that context, the best first throw was rock.

-Diplomat

[tonypaladino]

Always sissors first move. People think everyone starts with rock.

[Diplomat]

See, that's why rock is such a good first throw. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

-Diplomat

[FatalError]

exactly why my opening move against an unknown is rock rock scissors rock rock

[Publos Nemesis]

rock always wins

[adsman]

We use this all the time at work to decide things. I win so much that my work colleges, (there are around 30 of us), routinely ask me how I win so often. I never tell them of course.
I always throw rock. They always throw scissors. All of them. Every single time. The other crazy thing is that it has to be best of 3. I still always win - rock, rock. They even watch me and try to figure out how to beat me. They never do.
A pity they won't play poker with me.

Someone should start a website, rock paper scissors for cash. Have best of ___ matches for $____. Also have a player profile of every throw they've done. Then we can make an RPS tracker as a side business to track all opponents matches and show who they played and what they threw against them. Seems like a genious plan to me.

[TheNoodleMan]

[ QUOTE ]
I didn't answer, although I may give any old answer later to see the results.

But seriously, this game is all about your opponent. It is not a random game. The same few people win the RPS world championship each year. Seriously. If you need to decide something randomly, DO NOT use RPS to decide it, unless of course you know you have an edge over your opponent.

See this book (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0743267516/qid=1131277657/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-3875683-8448857?v=glance&amp;s=books&amp;n=507846).

Also, one throw is not enough. RPS should be played in bouts of three throws in quick succesion.

I won 30 quid (what maybe 45 bucks?) on Friday night playing this after going out for curry and beers. It paid for my evening.

PS Ethan please fix your link, you've broken the page /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
I have to ask, are you the one who bought that and the Stuey bio at the same time?

[kitaristi0]

[ QUOTE ]
See this book (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0743267516/qid=1131277657/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-3875683-8448857?v=glance&amp;s=books&amp;n=507846).

[/ QUOTE ]

Firstly, LOL.
Secondly, look at the 'Better Together' book that's recommended for people who bought this book. ÜBERLOL.

[Blarg]

I'm just gonna wait for the movie.

[Malachii]

Rock papers scissors is a game of psychology and pattern recognition. Understand what your opponents usually throw as their opening move. Most people will start with rock, then do scissors, then do paper or have some sort of easily recognizable pattern. Exploit this.

[diebitter]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm just gonna wait for the movie.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is it a planned trilogy? I'm sure I've seen 'The Rock'...

[stillbr]

[ QUOTE ]
Good ol' rock. Nothing beats that!

[/ QUOTE ]

This made me laugh

[stillbr]

[ QUOTE ]
Good ol' rock. Nothing beats that!

[/ QUOTE ]

poor bart....always chooses rock

[Blarg]

Dumber than a hamster.

[kyro]

I played a lot about a month ago. Paper was rarely thrown first. Obviously this means rock is best.