A simple game, played with the hands and a little imagination. Players simultaneously choose to be paper, rock, or scissors, forming their choice with their hands. The winner is chosen thus:
Paper covers rock, rock smashes scissors, and scissors cut paper.

Some heathens add Dynamite to the mix, which burns paper, blows up rock, but scissors cut the wick.

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Play it by email: "Roshambo Rampage" by the Brunching Shuttlecocks at http://www.brunching.com/toys/toy-psr.html

Play it against my web server:
http://mikelietz.org/etc/rpscissors.shtml

Play it against your DVD player:
It's called "Roschameau" and it's in the "Junk Drawer" of the DVD Short 7: Utopia

Alternatively, this game is known as Jan-ken-pon in Japan. The rules are exactly the same, with different words:

You pound your fist down three times on your open palm, chanting "Jan ken PON!"

On the PON, you choose whatever tool you're going to use (rock, paper, or scissors), and display it.

In case of a tie, the chant becomes "Ai ko desho" and you recast on the "SHO".

Janken, as it's often abbreviated, is used a lot in Japan, to decide all sorts of mundane things - the Japanese don't like taking responsibility for making decisions that don't have to be made in a rational manner, apparently.

There are extended rules, a game I have called Ultimate Japanese rock paper scissors.

Three of the standard strategies in Core Wars.

• Rock (aka stone) - a small bomber, the classic example as a dwarf.
• Paper - a replicator, one example as an impgun.
• Scissors - A program designed to beat replicators. Typically a b-field scanning vampire.

These strategies follow the analogy of:

• Rock beats Scissors - its faster and more efficient.
• Paper beats Rock - too many targets to hit.
• Scissors beats Paper - just trap one of them.

The Best rock, paper, scissors strategy is this:

First off, make sure you play 2 out of 3. Any less and you might lose on dumb luck, any more and the poor fool whom you're playing against might catch on.
So what's the strategy?

Throw rock every time!

The first time, you might lose. Don't be discourged though, because your opponent is now quite sure that you're not going to throw rock again. In fact, he's pretty sure you'll throw scissors, since they beat paper, which he just threw to beat you. In any event, he'll definitely not throw paper again assuming he did beat you the first time.
Basically, it's safe to assume that the opponent highly doubts you wouldn't adjust your throw based on how you did in the first few throws. So chances are he'll mix it up. The important is not to wuss out. If you just throw rock every time, you'll win 95% of the time.
However, don't play just single round (since you could just lose that one) or 3 out of 5 (sice they'll probably catch on). Also, don't play against someone who knows you're going to use the strategy.
Good luck!

I found alot of methods of playing Rock, Paper, Scissors around Everything2 and elsewhere, so I've decided to compile as many as I can into one semi-meta-node.

Kinds of Variations

There are four main types of Variations that you can use on Rock, Paper, Scissors. The most common simply changes the name. You can also add new components (such as Rock Paper Scissors Spock Lizard). The third type changes the rules fundamentally (such as Ultimate Japanese Rock Paper Scissors), or introduces some new idea (strip rock paper scissors)

Component modifications

• Rock Paper Scissors : The Classic. Scissors beat Paper. Paper Beats Rock. Rock beats Scissors.
• Rock Paper Scissors Dynamite: A fairly cheesy way of playing(IMHO)... Dynamite beats both Rock and Paper, but Scissors will beat Dynamite. Optionally, only some players can throw Dynamite (Fist with thumb pointing up as a wick), such as in RPGs, where only High-levelers get to. Another way of playing is that in multiple-game matches (or the other way around), if someone beats dynamite they get 3 points.
• Rock Paper Scissors Spock Lizard:A way of making life complicated. Scissors Beats Paper Beats Rock Beats Lizard Beats Spock Beats Scissors Beats Lizard Beats Paper Beats Spock Beats Rock Beats Scissors.
• Rock Paper Scissors Well Dynamite Time: An interesting method. Rock Paper and Scissors are normal. The other three are "special". Well beats Rock and Scissors(they sink) but Paper clogs it. Dynamite blows up Rock and Paper, but Scissors cut the wick. Time rots paper and rusts scissors, but rocks hold out. Optionally, defeating the "specials" gives more "points" than defeating a "normal".

Theming

Unless otherwise noted, object 1 beats object 2 beats object 3 beats object 1

• Chainsaw, Bridge, Water: The Chainsaw cuts the bridge, the bridge goes over the water, the water rusts the chainsaw.
• Pikeman, Knight, Archer: Age of Empires inspired.
• Dragon, Princess, Knight: Faerie tale based. The Dragon eats the princess, who gets the Knight to fall in love with her. The Knight kills the Dragon.

Gameplay Modifications

• Strip Paper Rock Scissors: Like Strip Poker... Every time you lose, you remove some piece of clothing.
• Ultimate Japanese Rock Paper Scissors:Hard to explain. You use different words, (see the linked node), but after the initial part, the winner points in some direction (Up, Down, Left, Right) and the loser moves their head in some direction. If the loser gets it right, it's a tie. If the loser guesses wrong, then it goes back to the first part
• Invent your own Object Rock Paper Scissors: Rock Paper scissors except you have the option (sometimes you don't have the option, you have to) of inventing something new. For instance, Atom Bomb, Computer Virus, Phaser, Machine Gun. You also need a good way to represent that with hand signals.
• Best of Three:The person that wins the majority of the games wins.
• First to Three:First person to win the stated number of games wins.

If anyone can think of anything I should add, please /msg me.

Nobody mentioned the gestures:

Rock = fist
Paper = open hand, palm down
Scissors = index and middle fingers extended

There is large group version of this game called 'Giants, Wizards, Elves'. Technically, the principles are the same. Giants can squash elves by standing on them, wizards can kill giants by casting spells on them, and elves can kill wizards by climbing up the backs of their cloaks and strangling them with their beards (graphic huh?).

There's none of this 'index and middle fingers extended' stuff either. This is role-play. Giants sway uneasily on their legs and shout 'Fee Fi Fo Fum' (okay, so they're stereotypes); Wizards throw their arms in front of them dramatically and shout 'Shazam', and elves extend their hands, wiggle their fingers and say 'Biddly widdly widdly' in high squeaky voices (it's in the rules, buster).

The game works best with about forty people, split into two equal teams. Each team decides what they're going to 'be' first, obviously without the other team hearing. The teams then line up in the middle of a large room, aggressively trying to stare down the other team (it's the attitude involved that makes this game fun). After a count of three, each team does their chosen character action... whoever wins the bout gets to chase the opposition back to the wall on their side of the room - all role-play ceases before the chase, obviously. Those that get back to the wall without being caught are safe. Those that do not must enthusiastically join the opposition. Teams then form conspiratorial huddles to decide what to be next.

It's a good game. Great moments include: draws which turn into wary stand-offs with many angry glances and hard gestures; the three second wait in between gesture and chase where players try to work out who's actually won; the one remaining elf being manhandled by thirty-nine giants.

'Giants, Wizards, Elves' is a 'New Game'.

Another variation that I have found unique to my college (New College of Florida) called Cowboy, Ninja, Bear:

It is played thus:

The two players start standing back to back. Then they each take three steps (counting out loud, syncronized. Best when someone else counts), turn and "shoot". Cowboy is normally done by pretending to draw two pistols. Ninja is conveyed by a vaugely martial-arts stance. To choose bear most people raise their arms, form their hands into "claw" shapes and make a menacing face. It varys depending on the individual.

Ninja beats Cowboy because he is stealthy and can kill the cowboy in his sleep.

Cowboy kills Bear with his pistol (and the cowboy also represents rapid westward expansion, depriving the bear of its natural habitat).

Bear beats Ninja because it is a fucking bear.

This form of rock, paper, scissors is used to settle minor student government debates.