Re:The secret to winning at rock, paper, scissors
by euccastro on Thursday December 20, 2007 @12:26PM
(#91531)
And this is one of the main reasons why you see thinly disguised RPS game mechanics in most strategy games, esp. multiplayer online games. Cycles of pwn are the easiest way to prevent absolutely optimal strategies (the I Win Button syndrome).
Unfortunately the NS source article is paywalled, so we miss the part where they give the (probably small) improvement in odds that scissors (currently) gives.
The interesting part about RPS for me is the evolutionary/ecological/game-theoretical implications, "Some of the male lizards (call their type "rock") use force, invading the territory of fellow males to mate with females. Others ("paper") favor deception, waiting until females are unguarded and sneaking in. Still others ("scissors") work by cooperation, joining together to protect one another's females. The three types of lizard... are locked in a cyclical sort of standoff. "
[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/magazine/09rockpaper.html?...]
Also: [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071001145022.ht...]