To win at rock paper scissors you can’t just rely on luck. It goes beyond being lucky, here are some advanced techniques and strategies to help you win more consistently at Rock Paper Scissors.

Watch Your Opponent

This strategy requires observation. Watch your opponent in matches against other people and observe his playing strategy. Challenge him to games when there are minor things to be decided and observe his playing style, so that when that really important match for who’s going to pay for the beer comes up, you’ll be familiar with his tactics and beat him easily.

Wildman

This is a good strategy if you are being beaten by one of the aforementioned predictor strategies. Just start throwing at random and the predictor will lose his confidence. It is useful against opponents who are more intelligent/skillful at janken than you, but if you feel that you can out-think your opponent, the Meta Predictor is always a better strategy.

Probing Your Opponent

It is important to know what kind of player you are facing, their strength regarding how well they can match your abilities. Is it a long-form game, a lightning round (one throw), best-of-three? In short matches, your best bet is to pick a good strategy or gambit and stick to it. In longer matches, you have the opportunity to “probe” your opponent.

Many players will develop and practice several distinct strategies. Often, after the first five or six throws, you can identify which strategy he is using. That helps you determine which of your strategies will be most helpful.

Consequently, many players develop a few opening sequences, from three throws to ten, that are independent of their larger strategies. The only purpose of these openings is to get a sense of how an opponent is going to play the match.

The Backup Plan

OK, so it’s not working. She’s got your strategy licked and you’re dropping farther and farther behind. Don’t panic! You’ve got a backup plan, right?

When you’re down, the thing to avoid is slipping into reflexive or reactive patterns. You’ll become predictable, your opponent will take control of the match, and you will lose your chance to recover the win.

A better approach is to develop and practice several independent strategies. Some techniques will work wonders against one opponent and fail miserably against the next.

It’s not always easy to know when to switch tactics. Even if you lose three or four throws in arrow, your opponent may still be in the dark about what you’re doing. With experience and practice, though, you’ll learn to tell if your opponent has you figured out.