# Rock, paper, scissors - dynamite?  bird?  Spock?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-scissors-dynamite-bird-spock/141800>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 10, 2002, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-scissors-dynamite-bird-spock/141800 "2002-12-10T17:50:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-scissors-dynamite-bird-spock/141800/41 "2002-12-12T21:44:43Z")

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A game-theoretical analysis of RPS inevitably breaks down, as there is no optimal strategy. Any strategy other than uniform random choice (i.e., 1/3 chance of each throw) has a counter-strategy, and can therefore not be optimal. _However_, uniform random choice isn’t optimal, either. If your opponent is using uniform random choice, then it doesn’t matter what strategy you use: All of your possible strategies are exactly equivalent. And if your opponent is using anything _other_ than uniform random choice, then there are strategies better than URC for you to use.

And **Aro** :

> [@](#):
>
> Does it ‘cheat’ by analysiing patterns in your play?

That’s not cheating; that _is_ the game. Saying that pattern-analysis is cheating in RPS is like saying that passing the ball and running are cheating in football.

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**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-paper-scissors-dynamite-bird-spock/141800/42 "2002-12-12T23:26:42Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Lazlo \*  
> \*\*Does it ask you if you’ve looked when it thinks you figured it out? I won about 15 in a row and it said, “You’ve been circled. Did you look?” After that, it seemed random. \*\*

That’s a running joke that the tiltboys play on each other. If someone can make you look at a circle held below the waist, they get to punch you in the shoulder. It is annoying since it sets your stats back to zero.

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