Scientists find a winning strategy for rock-paper-scissors. A new study (PDF) applies statistics, probability, and psychology to RPS.
From Ars Technica:
A group of researchers from Chinese universities have written a paper about the role of psychology in winning (or losing) at rock-paper-scissors. After studying how players change or keep their strategies during multiple-round sessions, they figured out a basic rule that people tend to play by that could potentially be exploited. The researchers took 360 students, broke them into groups of six, and had them play 300 rounds of rock-paper-scissors in random pairings. The students received small amounts of money each time they won a round. As they played, the researchers observed how the players rotated through the three play options as they won or lost.
(Score: 2) by everdred on Friday May 02 2014, @04:22PM
So wait, kids these days haven't moved to RPS-25 [umop.com]? What's even the point of the future?
(Score: 2) by mindriot on Saturday May 03 2014, @01:36PM
...and why have you not moved to RPS-101 [umop.com] yet? Weakling...
soylent_uid=$(echo $slash_uid|cut -c1,3,5)
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 02 2014, @04:30PM
...Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock?
(Score: 4, Informative) by SplawnDarts on Friday May 02 2014, @04:44PM
This problem has already been thoroughly crushed. Of course, that won't stop a Chinese publication chaser, although it should stop us from linking to it.
https://webdocs.cs.ualberta.ca/~darse/rsbpc.html [ualberta.ca]
http://ofb.net/~egnor/iocaine.html [ofb.net]
The "Iocane Powder" solution in particular is clearly the correct way to reason about roshambo. The only question then is what predictive sub-strategies you put in it - other people have improved slightly on that, but the basic logic still stands.
(Score: 2) by TheLink on Saturday May 03 2014, @06:51AM
(Score: 3, Funny) by metamonkey on Friday May 02 2014, @04:48PM
They tell you what to do when you win or lose, but what about when you tie? That's the tricky one. I really want to know because my wife and I roshambo to decide who's changing the kid's diaper. Anything to give me an edge!
Okay 3, 2, 1, let's jam.
(Score: 5, Funny) by chromas on Friday May 02 2014, @04:57PM
Yeah, well, I'm waiting for somebody to write a rock about it.
(Score: 2) by cosurgi on Friday May 02 2014, @05:07PM
wow, those utf-8 symbols can always surprise me :)
Once they write a rock about it, somebody should write scissors!
#
#\ @ ? [adom.de] Colonize Mars [kozicki.pl]
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 02 2014, @05:20PM
Fisting, shocker or anal surprise? I think I'll pass.
(Score: 3, Funny) by joshuajon on Friday May 02 2014, @05:01PM
Always throw rock. Rock is strong.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday May 02 2014, @05:18PM
Most people go with scissors because scissors are the scariest and most weapon-like.
That's why the rock strategy wins, because you are one step ahead of the blade-wielding savage with your projectile.
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Friday May 02 2014, @06:49PM
Yeah, that's what the reviewer thought, too. Then he got that paper from the Chinese, and lost.
Had he selected scissors instead, he could have torn that paper into pieces.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 2) by drussell on Friday May 02 2014, @07:31PM
Poor predictable Bart. Always takes `rock'.
...
Good ol' rock! Nothin' beats that!
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 02 2014, @07:20PM
you need three people:
two players and an observer.
the two players may not face each other, that is back-to-back
with the observer the only person that can see both hands and doing the
count down...