Rock Paper Scissors

How to play

• Pick one of the three throws: rock, paper, or scissors.
• The computer picks randomly at the same time.
• Rock beats scissors. Scissors beats paper. Paper beats rock.
• Same throw on both sides is a draw — no point scored.
• Best of five hands wins the match.

About this game

Rock Paper Scissors is the universal three-button game for settling disputes, choosing seats, and breaking ties since at least the Han dynasty in China two thousand years ago. The rules are perfectly symmetric — each throw beats one of the others and loses to one of the others — which means the optimal long-run strategy against a random opponent is also random.

The computer in this version has no memory and no strategy; every throw is genuinely random. Over a single hand the outcome is pure chance; over many hands you'll average roughly a third wins, a third losses, and a third draws. The game is short enough to play between meetings and clean enough that it doesn't pretend to be more than it is.

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