Best way to win rock paper scissors

How can one win at the game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors”? You might think that victory in this game depends on luck, but a New York game designer named Nick Metzler says otherwise. Metzler, in a TikTok video, has shown how you can defeat your friends in this game using a simple psychological technique.

There’s a small psychological tip for winning at Rock, Paper, Scissors. When people say “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” they choose one of these three options. But how can you predict which one they’ll pick? The answer might surprise you.

Given that there are only three options to choose from, you might assume each has a 33% chance of being selected. However, Metzler explains that this probability is not accurate. When people say something aloud, they are more likely to act on either the first or the last thing they heard. Therefore, when they say “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” they are more likely to choose scissors or rock.

Considering this, the best first move for winning this game is rock.

By doing this, you’ll either tie or win. Most people do not start with paper, which is good because experience has shown them that starting with paper often leads to a loss since most people choose rock or scissors. Since scissors are chosen about half the time, choosing paper would lead to a loss. Thus, starting with paper isn’t a good idea.

However, if the game ties, subsequent rounds become slightly more complicated because the opponent’s next move will be based on your previous plays.

I usually choose rock, and if I win, I change my choice. If we tie, I repeat the same choice.

Several TikTok users have discussed this strategy in the comments section of Metzler’s video, debating whether they will use it in their future games.

Now I’m sending this to everyone I play Rock, Paper, Scissors with and I’ll start with paper! I don’t know when I’ll be able to use this in real life. But I’ll choose paper every time. If you want to win, always choose one option.

Metzler’s tips came right after a study was published showing that coin flips are not 50/50 as commonly thought. Scientists from the University of Amsterdam, after flipping a coin over 350,000 times, discovered that the side that was initially face up tends to land face up again 50.8% of the time. So next time you flip a coin, you might want to check which side is facing up before the toss!

January 20, 2025 | 4:42 am