# Is there any strategy in this fencing game?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-strategy-in-this-fencing-game/366675
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 31, 2006, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-strategy-in-this-fencing-game/366675 "2006-07-31T05:54:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-strategy-in-this-fencing-game/366675/1 "2006-07-31T05:54:43Z")
I was surfing the net randomly when I come across a [fencing game](http://users.wildblue.net/hawthorn/duel.html). Basically, it consists of two players and a judge. The players will both write down their movie (choosen from a set of ten) and pass it to the judge. The judge will then refer to a matrix, and declare the outcome.
What got me puzzled is that the page introduces the game as “there’s rich enough strategy that you can actually get good at it,”
No matter how I try, I just can’t seem any strategy besides picking a move at random – something like Sisscors, Paper and Stone.
What am I missing here?
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### Author:  [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2006, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-strategy-in-this-fencing-game/366675/2 "2006-07-31T06:19:34Z")
> [@ExtraKun](#):
>
> I was surfing the net randomly when I come across a [fencing game](http://users.wildblue.net/hawthorn/duel.html). Basically, it consists of two players and a judge. The players will both write down their movie (choosen from a set of ten) and pass it to the judge. The judge will then refer to a matrix, and declare the outcome.
>
> What got me puzzled is that the page introduces the game as “there’s rich enough strategy that you can actually get good at it,”
>
> No matter how I try, I just can’t seem any strategy besides picking a move at random – something like Sisscors, Paper and Stone.
>
> What am I missing here?
Even Rock, Paper, Scissors has some strategy: though the first game is random, every game after that becomes a rudimentary practice in game theory. You’re trying to anticipate your opponent’s next move by evaluating his last.
I imagine it’s much like that, except with 10 possible selections, instead of 3. Therefore it takes much longer than 1 move for strategy to come into play.