How Science Reveals the Ultimate Rock, Paper, Scissors Winning Strategy

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  Heads or tails? Scientists claim coin toss probabilities aren’t 50/50.
  

It’s a game employed globally to resolve disputes.

However, when it comes to ‘rock, paper, scissors,’ what is the most effective strategy for winning?

You could believe that the playground game relies solely on chance.

However,
Nick Metzler
A game designer based in New York has clarified why this might not be the case.

In a video he shared online
TikTok
, the expert reveals how you can use simple psychology to beat your friends at the game.

‘I’ve got a small mental trick that can help you win at rock, paper, scissors more frequently,’ he stated.

When people say ‘rock, paper, scissors, shoot,’ they will choose one of these three options.

‘However, how do you forecast their moves? The response could astonish you.’

Given the options of rock, paper, or scissors, one might assume that each choice has an equal probability of being selected, at around 33 percent.

Mr. Metzler clarifies why this situation is not entirely accurate.

“When individuals vocalize their thoughts, they tend to be inclined towards wanting to follow through with either the initial idea mentioned or the most recent one,” he explained.

‘When people say “rock, paper, scissors,” they tend to choose either a scissor or a rock more often.’

Given this information, Mr. Metzler suggests that the wisest initial action would be to choose a rock.

‘In that direction, you have the option to either secure a draw or emerge as the winner,’ he clarified.

Many individuals rarely start with paper. This is actually beneficial since they have discovered from past experiences that initiating with paper usually results in losing, as most folks tend to choose either rock or scissors.

‘Since scissors are tossed about half the time, you’d end up losing with paper. Therefore, beginning with paper isn’t a solid strategy.’

If, however, you’re engaged in a best-of-three match, subsequent rounds become somewhat more complex since your adversary will consider your past moves when deciding their next action.

Mr. Metzler mentioned, “I typically play rock, but if I win, I’ll change my choice.”

If I end up tying, I stay as I am. If I happen to lose and another person plays paper, then let them have the victory—because who even begins with paper? How absurd is that?

Many viewers of Mr. Metzler’s video have flocked to the comment section to debate his tactics and ponder if these strategies will be incorporated into their upcoming games.

‘Now I’m going to send this to everyone I play rock paper, scissors, too, and then start with PAPER,’ one user joked.

Another agreed with this strategy, writing: ‘I’m not sure when I’ll ever be able to use this in my adult life. But I’m 100% using paper every time.’

And someone simply remarked: “If you aim to gain an advantage, always present the same thing each time.”

Mr Metzler’s advice comes shortly after a study revealed that, contrary to popular belief,
coin tosses are not 50/50.

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam discovered that an inherent bias happens during coin tosses.

Following more than 350,000 coin flips, the researchers discovered that the initial side lands faceup approximately 50.8 percent of the time.

This may not seem very important, but researchers claim it provides ‘compelling evidence of a preference for the same side’.”

Next time you flip a coin, you might want to sneak a look at which side is facing up—it could give you a slight advantage over the ’50/50′ chances.

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