Unit 137 Rock, Paper, Scissors

G : Come on, Tony, let's go to a movie tonight.

B : We went to a movie on Saturday, Mary, but we haven't gone bowling for a long time.

G : I know, let's play rock, paper, scissors to decide!

B : Rock, paper, scissors?

It sounds like an interesting sort of game! How do you play it? G : First, we each make a fist with our right hand, and then we shake our fists at the same time: one, two, three.

On the count of three, you can keep your hand in a fist---that's rock---or open your hand with the palm flat---that's paper---or keep your fist, but put out your first and middle fingers---that's scissors. The winner is the person who has the stronger item. B : That sounds stupid, because rocks are stronger than paper and scissors, so the rock will win every time.

G : That's true in real life, Tony, but that's not how it works in this game.

Rock can break scissors, but rock can be covered by paper, and paper can be cut by scissors. So rock defeats scissors, paper beats rock, and scissors beats paper. B : It's interesting that each item in the game can defeat one other thing and lose to one other thing.

I wonder who invented this game. G : I don't know, but it's played all over the world.

There's even a rock, paper, scissors world championship that has been held every year in Europe since 1934.