How to win at rock-paper-scissors game? (implementation of the optimal strategy in Wolfram Mathematica).

God only knows how many controversial situations in childhood were resolved with the help of the game “Rock, paper, scissors”. Why are there little ones, full of adult children who find an easy way out in a matter of seconds and a discarded sign. So what is hidden behind the unpretentious throwing of the fingers: a will of chance or a well-thought-out strategy? Scientists know the answer for sure and give their victorious recipe.

More recently, a team of Chinese researchers from Zhejiang University alerted the world to the bold findings of their psychological tests. Scientists from December 2010 to March this year conducted 5 experimental cycles. Each cycle included 12 sessions with 6 participants. In total, the total number of subjects reached 360 people. The sex ratio was 217: 143 with a female preponderance (the girls were simply more active in recording). A student or graduate student could participate in the research only once. People were out of sight of each other, in front of the monitor screens. Thus, verbal and visual contact was excluded. Each of the participants spent from one and a half to two hours on 300 games with a random opponent. The incentive to victories was a small monetary reward for each won round.

So what do you need to know to win? After observing a huge number of "battles", scientists have found that the player who defeated his opponent in the current game is more likely to repeat his actions in the next round, and less likely to change anything.

On the other hand, if a player loses two or more times in a row, he will stop showing the unsuccessful combination and will try to break exactly the mark that just allowed his opponent to defeat him.

So if Player A had a losing streak and Player B had just thrown away the scissors and thus cut A's paper, then A would likely throw out a rock that would give him a good chance of winning, since B would probably stick with the same victorious tactics. The psychology of behavior is simple: you win - you don't change, you lose - you switch.

Lost? Throw away the mark that beats your opponent's last victory mark.

Have you won? Don't keep showing the same sign, instead fold your losing opponent's last hand.

Still not completely clear? Here are some winning strategies to help you stay invincible:

If you won the last game ...

If you lost in the last game (and your opponent is not aware of this technique) ...

• ... throwing a stone, go to the scissors in the next fight
• ... throwing away the scissors, go to the paper in the next fight
• ... throwing out the paper, go to the stone in the next fight

If you lost the last game (and your opponent knows this technique) ...

• ... throwing a stone, go to paper in the next fight
• ... throwing away the scissors, go to the stone in the next fight
• ... throwing out the paper, go to the scissors in the next fight

You can learn more about the research methodology presented by Chinese scientists to the public. Of course, it is issued in English language and contains layouts and formulas that are obscure to people far from mathematics.

And in conclusion, I will add that the blame for the lost cars, houses and wives in "stone, scissors, paper", first of all, should be placed on your passion, and not on the Chinese minds and the author of these lines.

Have you tried these tips in practice? Maybe there are interesting stories in your life related to this game? Share in the comments.

BENJAMIN JAMES DYSON, lecturer of psychology at the British University of Sussex, co-author of the study "The influence of negative results on the adoption of irrational decisions in the game" Rock, paper, scissors ":

1 ___________

One day I saw two students who were writing for my diploma playing in front of my office at "rock, scissors, paper" to determine who would go first. One of them was confident in his victory, I asked why, we began to consider possible strategies and, as a result, together we wrote a whole study. We were curious to prove that emotion influences decision making in this game, and to demonstrate how. We did not set ourselves the goal of learning to always win, but along the way we figured out which behaviors contribute to this. For example, in the first round, most players unconsciously choose a stone. It's not even that it is associated with reliability - we just start the game with this gesture when we shake our fist. Therefore, in the first horse it is better to "throw out" the paper.

2 ___________

The average person does this: if the item wins, the euphoria of winning makes you bet on it again - we love doing things for which we get rewards. And vice versa, having put on scissors and lost, in the next round you will most likely change tactics by choosing a stronger object - a stone. In fact, you need to watch what your opponent chooses. If he lost, repeat his subject in the next round, and if he won, bet on a stronger one.

3 ___________

Acting based on your opponent's behavior is a smart strategy, but what if the opponent understands what you are doing and is trying to adjust? Then the game gets much more difficult. In this situation, there is only one way to protect yourself from losing - to shuffle strategies in a random order so that your actions are not predictable. You can even give in on purpose once.

3 ___________

Our goal was not to teach people to cheat, but to force them to reconsider decisions dictated by emotions. Both failure and victory make us vulnerable in their own way. The mistake described in our research is often repeated by roulette players, unknowingly following the Martingale principle: after betting on black or red and winning, they stubbornly continue to bet only on the “lucky” color and quickly go broke. Professional players poker knows that even losing can be profitable by keeping a cool head.

5 ___________

Played 6975 times in "Rock, scissors, paper" 31 participants in the study - the enemy was computer program acting according to a mixed equilibrium strategy. Having played "a draw", the players begin to behave as if they had lost, because on a subconscious level, a "draw" is perceived as a defeat. Players from 196 countries took part in the International Rock, Paper, Scissors Championship held on April 16 in London's Green Man pub.

God only knows how many controversial situations in childhood were resolved with the help of the game “Rock, paper, scissors”. Why are there little ones, full of adult children who find an easy way out in a matter of seconds and a discarded sign. So what is hidden behind the unpretentious throwing of the fingers: a will of chance or a well-thought-out strategy? Scientists know the answer for sure and give their victorious recipe.

More recently, a team of Chinese researchers from Zhejiang University alerted the world to the bold findings of their psychological tests. Scientists from December 2010 to March this year conducted 5 experimental cycles. Each cycle included 12 sessions with 6 participants. In total, the total number of subjects reached 360 people. The sex ratio was 217: 143 with a female preponderance (the girls were simply more active in recording). A student or graduate student could participate in the research only once. People were out of sight of each other, in front of the monitor screens. Thus, verbal and visual contact was excluded. Each of the participants spent from one and a half to two hours on 300 games with a random opponent. The incentive to victories was a small monetary reward for each won round.

So what do you need to know to win? After observing a huge number of "battles", scientists have found that the player who defeated his opponent in the current game is more likely to repeat his actions in the next round, and less likely to change anything.

On the other hand, if a player loses two or more times in a row, he will stop showing the unsuccessful combination and will try to break exactly the mark that just allowed his opponent to defeat him.

So if Player A had a losing streak and Player B had just thrown away the scissors and thus cut A's paper, then A would likely throw out a rock that would give him a good chance of winning, since B would probably stick with the same victorious tactics. The psychology of behavior is simple: you win - you don't change, you lose - you switch.

Lost? Throw away the mark that beats your opponent's last victory mark.

Have you won? Don't keep showing the same sign, instead fold your losing opponent's last hand.

Still not completely clear? Here are some winning strategies to help you stay invincible:

If you won the last game ...

If you lost in the last game (and your opponent is not aware of this technique) ...

• ... throwing a stone, go to the scissors in the next fight
• ... throwing away the scissors, go to the paper in the next fight
• ... throwing out the paper, go to the stone in the next fight

If you lost the last game (and your opponent knows this technique) ...

• ... throwing a stone, go to paper in the next fight
• ... throwing away the scissors, go to the stone in the next fight
• ... throwing out the paper, go to the scissors in the next fight

You can learn more about the research methodology presented by Chinese scientists to the public. Of course, it is designed in English and contains layouts and formulas that are obscure to people far from mathematics.

And in conclusion, I will add that the blame for the lost cars, houses and wives in "stone, scissors, paper", first of all, should be placed on your passion, and not on the Chinese minds and the author of these lines.

Have you tried these tips in practice? Maybe there are interesting stories in your life related to this game? Share in the comments.

There is no person who has not played the game "Rock, Paper, Scissors." After all, she can not only take time, but also solve, for example, a dispute.

Meanwhile, not many people know that this game originated in China, later, in the 19-20 centuries, gained popularity in many countries of the world, including Russia. And at the beginning of the 21st century, the first championships in this "sport" appeared with significant prize funds.

To win this game, you do not need to be a psychic - to read the opponent's mind or program his actions, you just need to adhere to some rules.

1. Men tend to be the first to throw the "stone" because it is perceived as strength and determination. Therefore, it is possible to catch a strong half of humanity on this, they quite often come across this. Using this feature, you can easily win by showing "paper". But remember that this trick will not work with experienced players.

2. If you are "lucky" to play with an experienced player, he is unlikely to show the "stone" for the first time - this is too obvious. Therefore, "scissors" are a fairly optimal option.

3. Tell your opponent what you are going to show and then ... show what you said. Why? As long as you do not play with someone who does not know about your impudence, you can, by communicating your intentions, get a profitable throw for you. For example, if you declare "rock", then your opponent will not throw "paper", assuming that you will show "scissors". This move can bring you a win or a draw.

4. If your opponent has thrown "scissors" twice, then the chance that he will show them for the third time is very small. Most likely, he will throw out the "paper" or "stone". In this case, it will be advisable for you to show the "paper".

5. During the second round, inexperienced players subconsciously show what could have defeated them in the past. For example, if your opponent lost with “paper”, he will show “scissors”, then your move is “stone”. If for the first time the opponent threw out the "stone", then the second time it is advisable to show the "scissors": he, most likely, will decide to throw out the "paper".

6. There are situations when you do not know what to throw out. In this case, I advise you to show the "paper". According to statistics, "scissors" show a little less often than the rest. However, not so long ago British scientists have established that the most winning strategy in the game is to show the "scissors". The fact is that most often the opponent subconsciously expects the “stone” gesture, and therefore shows “paper”.

Good game!

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If you are constantly losing at tic-tac-toe or rock-paper-scissors, it may be because you don’t know the winning strategy. Or your opponent knows it.

site will tell you about ways to help you win the 5 most popular games and prevail in arguments.

1. Tic-tac-toe

When you move first, place your X in the corner. If, in response, the opponent puts "O" in any place other than the central cell, then we can say that you have won. Place a cross in any of the free corners. The opponent, without thinking, will block your winning combination and stand between your crosses.

If, after your first move, the enemy occupied the center, then you can win in this case as well.

Just put the cross in the corner obliquely from the already occupied one. Now, if the enemy occupies one of the free corners, then you have won. Otherwise, it can be easily reduced to a draw.

2. "Monopoly"

"Monopoly"- a game in which a lot depends on your luck at the beginning and on the ability to negotiate in the middle of the game. But in order to significantly increase your chances of winning, it is important to adhere to certain rules.

Buy railways and don't buy utilities (electricity and water). Utilities already in the middle of the game they bring a small income, and transport will make you rich already at the very beginning.

1. Don't worry about hotels. After you have collected one of the colored territories, build 3 houses as soon as possible. 3 houses is the point at which you find the best use for your money. They are easy to build and generate high returns.
2. Best Territories are orange, light blue and red. They have a good location, they will bring you high income and help you win.

3. Arm wrestling

Even if there is an opponent who is superior in strength and mass against you, it is possible to defeat him if you use the correct technique of setting the arms and torso.

Lean over the table, extend your right leg forward and place your right elbow on the table. If you are using your left arm, then extend your left leg.

• Keep the distance between your forearm and your body as small as possible. So you can use not only the strength of the arm, but also the weight of your own body, this will give you an advantage.

Lift your wrist up a little. This will cause your wrist to move downward and your opponent's wrist to bend. This will make him uncomfortable, and will help you strengthen your grip. If you can't bend your wrist, just keep it straight.

Now, when pressing, pull the opponent's hand towards you, and yourself approach and pile with your shoulder. It is important to keep your body and forearm close to each other.

• For a decisive blow, turn your body a little and lean on your shoulder in the right direction. Now all that remains is to drag the opponent towards you and push down. You won!

4. Billiards

Billiards- a game that requires skill, training and high concentration. Therefore, if an experienced opponent is playing against you, it will be very difficult to win. To maximize your chances, stick to the basic rules.

Prevent your opponent from successfully breaking the pyramid... This is one of the basic rules. If you have an experienced opponent in front of you, then, having broken the pyramid, he can score all the balls at once, without giving you a chance to hit. So try to hit first.

1. Do not hurry. It sounds corny, but most people lose because they are in a hurry to hit the ball. Practice, aim, take a closer look. Ignore if you are rushed. Patience is important in this game.
2. Hit right. If your ball deviates from its intended trajectory, then you are not hitting the center of the ball. Place the cue so that it coincides with the line of the future blow. If you are right-handed, place your right foot perpendicular to this line, with your left foot in front. Shoulder, hip, elbow and chin should be in the same plane.

5. "Stone, scissors, paper"

Many people think that the game "rock, paper, scissors" consists of chances. In fact, it will be easy for you to win if you know some psychological tricks.

Researchers from Zhejiang University conducted a huge number of experiments, the results of which showed some patterns.

Most people always start with a stone. Moreover, men are many times more likely than women. At the same time, many people do not throw out the same sign 3 times in a row. So throw away the "paper" 3 times in a row and you win.

• People don't like to be predictable. If your opponent has thrown a “stone” 2 times in a row, then in most cases the next sign will be “scissors”.
• Watch your opponent's fingers- they will tell you what move the opponent is going to make. All fingers are tense - "stone". All fingers are relaxed - "paper". Only two fingers are tense - "scissors".