# Rock, paper, or scissors?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [August 17, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045 "2011-08-17T16:30:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/1 "2011-08-17T16:30:10Z")
You are playing against an unknown opponent. What do you open with?
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/2 "2011-08-17T16:32:07Z")
Paper. I know, but it works.
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### Author:  [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/3 "2011-08-17T16:32:44Z")
I read somewhere that most people open with rock, so I pick paper.
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### Author:  [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/4 "2011-08-17T16:34:32Z")
LOL based on the poll results I think I need to change my opening move.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/5 "2011-08-17T16:34:47Z")
Grrrrrrr. . .
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### Author:  [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/6 "2011-08-17T16:37:48Z")
[Good old rock. Nothin’ beats that!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMxzU6hxrNA)
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/7 "2011-08-17T16:39:09Z")
I voted scissors, but I usually go with either Spock or Lizard.
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### Author:  [@Krouget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krouget)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/8 "2011-08-17T16:39:26Z")
I figure go with scissors. Rock requires less effort from the shoot, so most just go with it, while others use paper to counter that-- so progressing down the meta-game, I go with scissors, lol. 🙂
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### Author:  [@randomface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomface)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/9 "2011-08-17T16:53:22Z")
The statistics I have seen showed rock and paper to be chosen most often in a starting throw, so I choose paper for unknown opponents. If I know them, I usually choose rock if I think they are intelligent, paper if they are below average intelligence, and scissors if they are slightly above average intelligence. I know I’m making it more complicated than it needs to be, but that’s the fun in life.
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### Author:  [@Chopper9760](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chopper9760)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/10 "2011-08-17T18:01:12Z")
Scissors because I get to make a fun cutting motion. Rock is a close second due to the bashing motion. Paper just means you have to hold the enemy’s hand. Fuck paper, paper is a treasonous whore.
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### Author:  [@Hallucinex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hallucinex)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/11 "2011-08-17T18:17:21Z")
Meteor
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/12 "2011-08-17T19:00:36Z")
I once played with a guy who opened with Pencil.
He didn’t quite understand the rules of the game.
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### Author:  [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2011, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/13 "2011-08-18T08:58:40Z")
Paper smashes scissors! _BAM_
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### Author:  [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/14 "2011-08-18T13:52:56Z")
> [@tdn](#):
>
> I once played with a guy who opened with Pencil.
>
> He didn’t quite understand the rules of the game.
Where the heck was he from that he didn’t understand the rules of RPS???
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### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/15 "2011-08-18T14:23:28Z")
> [@Randy\_Seltzer](#):
>
> [Good old rock. Nothin’ beats that!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMxzU6hxrNA)
[Rock flies right through paper!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyCa-LHtIKE)
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### Author:  [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/16 "2011-08-18T14:34:55Z")
Presumably, your opponent will open with rock so you outsmart him with paper. Unless your opponent outsmarts you first and opens with scissors. In which case you double outsmart him and open with rock. So it depends on how smart your opponent is.
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### Author:  [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/17 "2011-08-18T14:59:16Z")
> [@randomface](#):
>
> The statistics I have seen showed rock and paper to be chosen most often in a starting throw, so I choose paper for unknown opponents. If I know them, I usually choose rock if I think they are intelligent, paper if they are below average intelligence, and scissors if they are slightly above average intelligence. I know I’m making it more complicated than it needs to be, but that’s the fun in life.
> [@Lukeinva](#):
>
> Presumably, your opponent will open with rock so you outsmart him with paper. Unless your opponent outsmarts you first and opens with scissors. In which case you double outsmart him and open with rock. So it depends on how smart your opponent is.
But if your opponent is even smarter than that, he’ll go with paper so you should go with scissors.
But if he’s even smarter than that, he’ll go with scissors so you should go with rock.
But if he’s even smarter than that…
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### Author:  [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/18 "2011-08-18T15:08:06Z")
So, how exactly does wrapping a rock in paper defeat it exactly? Oh-no, I-cannot-see-my-rock. I-had-a-rock, but-all-I-see-now-is-paper. I am distraught at the loss of my rock. Henchforth, my life will be barren without the comfort of my rock. Have you seen my rock? Will I ever know one like it again?
I choose rock.
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### Author:  [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/19 "2011-08-18T15:33:47Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#):
>
> So, how exactly does wrapping a rock in paper defeat it exactly? Oh-no, I-cannot-see-my-rock. I-had-a-rock, but-all-I-see-now-is-paper. I am distraught at the loss of my rock. Henchforth, my life will be barren without the comfort of my rock. Have you seen my rock? Will I ever know one like it again?
>
> I choose rock.
You don’t know if it’s your pet rock or someone else’s, therefore you are depressed and lose.
Maybe I’ll start another poll: knowing the results of this poll, (paper is winning), what do you open with?
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### Author:  [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)
#### Post date: [August 18, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-or-scissors/593045/20 "2011-08-18T15:45:28Z")
> [@Gedd](#):
>
> You don’t know if it’s your pet rock or someone else’s, therefore you are depressed and lose.
>
> Maybe I’ll start another poll: knowing the results of this poll, (paper is winning), what do you open with?
Do I do that my opponent knows the results of the poll?
Do I know that my opponent knows that I know that he and I know the results of the poll?
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