HILARY KINDSCHUH / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Thursday, June 29, 2006 7:00 pm
Abby Vestecka usually goes with paper first. The 14-year-old picked up this strategy from years of playing rock-paper-scissors with her sister — “usually about stuff like who gets the remote,” she said.
Most people pick either paper or rock for their first throw, she said.
“It’s always safe to go with paper first because you’ll either win or tie,” she said.
On Thursday, Vestecka’s approach didn’t let her down. She defeated 14-year-old Rie Uchida of Japan in the Bright Lights-Summer Learning Adventures summer program’s first ever rock-paper-scissors tournament, which was held at Lux Middle School.
Barb McCallum, international coordinator for Bright Lights, said this was the fourth year students from Senshu University Matsudo Junior High School in Japan had participated in Bright Lights as an English immersion program.
“We try to find ways to help kids bond together and get past that communication gap,” McCallum said.
Rock-paper-scissors is so prevalent in Japan that businessmen sometimes use it to make decisions, McCallum said.
And, of course, the game is also widespread among school children in the United States.
So when McCallum and Bright Lights co-founder Barb Hoppe returned from a trip to Japan in March, they decided to incorporate the game into this year’s Bright Lights activities, McCallum said.
They didn’t have to look far to find an authority on the game. As it turns out, Lincoln has a rock-paper-scissors team — the Social Club of St. Croix.
Members of the club spoke to Bright Lights students about the game earlier in the week and umpired the tournament on Thursday.
Group member Tyler Riewer said the six-man team first started practicing about two years ago.
“Our big debut as a team was probably the World Rock-Paper-Scissors Championship in Toronto in 2005,” Riewer said.
Against more than 500 competitors, three Lincoln team members finished in the top 64, Riewer said.
Some teams have standout individuals who attain “rock star” status, said team member Clint Runge.
“We try to be team-based,” Runge said. “If one person wins, we all win.”
The group plans to compete again in the world championship this November.
“You think of it as a children’s game until you get there, and then it’s a sport,” Riewer said.
Reach Hilary Kindschuh at 473-7120 or hkindschuh@journalstar.com.
Rules of the Game
Rock — represented by a closed fist without the fingers concealing the thumb.
Paper — all fingers, including the thumb, are fully extended and horizontal, with the points of the fingers facing the opposing player.
Scissors — the index and middle fingers are fully extended toward the opposing player.
Rock wins against Scissors.
Scissors wins against Paper.
Paper wins against rock.
Vocabulary
Prime — a ritual used to get opponents in sync with each other so they can deliver their throws simultaneously. Players retract their fists from full-arm extension toward the shoulder and then back to full extension.
Approach — begins at the shoulder following the final prime and ends when the arm makes a 90-degree angle with the player’s body. Players must reveal their chosen throw to their opponent prior to reaching the 90-degree mark. Any throw delivered past this point must be considered a Forced Rock.
Delivery — after final prime, hand either must be switched to another throw or remain as Rock.
Mirror Play — a continuous stalemate situation. Players might wish to take a short “time-out” to rethink their strategy.”
As the game is usually best of out of three, players often will use the following strategies:
Avalanche: rock, rock, rock.
Bureaucrat: paper, paper, paper.
Toolbox: scissors, scissors, scissors.
Crescendo: paper, scissors, rock.
Scissors Sandwich: paper, scissors, paper.
Trivia
Martial arts is a derivative of rock-paper-scissors, developing as players who were upset at the outcomes of certain rock-paper-scissors matches chose to retaliate with violent action with their fists.
The World Rock Paper Scissors Society has headquarters in Toronto, Canada.
Omaha man Dave McGill won $50,000 at a rock-paper-scissors tournament in Las Vegas.
Source: www.worldrps.com.