Rock,
      paper,
      scissors
      champicnship
      glory
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      year
      again.
      The
      air
      is
      crisp,
      baseball
     
     
      is
      over,
      hockey
      has
      begun,
      and
      it"s
     
     
      time
      again
      for
      the
      Rock
      Paper
     
     
      Scissors
      RPS
      International
      World
     
     
      Championships.
      More
      than
     
     
      900
      competitors
      and
      spectators
     
     
      crammed
      into
      the
      Koolhaus,
      located
     
     
      in
      Toronto,
      last
      weekend
      to
      watch
     
     
      players
      from
      around
      the
      world
      com-
     
     
      pete
      for
      the
      Championship
      trophy.
     
     
      Taking
      top
      honours
      this
      year
      was
     
     
      Canadian
      Rob
      Krueger
      of
      the
     
     
      Ontario-based
      "Legion
      of
      the
      Red
     
     
      Fist."
      In
      addition
      to
      the
      trophy,
     
     
      Krueger
      walked
      away
      with
      $5,000
     
     
      and
      the
      gold
      medal.
     
    

    
     
      Krueger
      defeated
      his
      oppo-
     
     
      nent
      in
      the
      final
      round
      by
      throwing
     
     
      down
      a
      gambit,
      (defined
      by
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Masters
      guide
      to
      RPS
      as
      "a
      series
      of
     
     
      three
      consecutive
      moves
      made
      with
     
     
      strategic
      intention")
      known
      as
      fistful
     
     
      o'
      dollars
      (rock,
      paper,
      paper).
     
    

    
     
      Krueger's
      gambit
      was
     
     
      enough
      to
      beat
      runner
      up
      Marc
     
     
      Rigaux's
      avalanche
      series
      (rock,
     
     
      rock,
      rock)
      to
      capture
      the
      title.
     
    

    
     
      "Marc
      and
      I
      kept
      stalemating
     
     
      in
      the
      final
      match,
      which
      created
      a
     
     
      lot
      of
      tension
      onstage,"
      said
      Krueger
     
     
      in
      an
      RPS
      press
      release.
      "I
      had
      to
     
     
      block
      out
      the
      noise
      of
      the
      crowd
      and
     
     
      concentrate
      on
      reading
      Marc's
      face.
     
     
      When
      he
      threw
      two
      rocks
      in
      a
      row,
      I
     
     
      guessed
      he
      was
      going
      to
      complete
     
     
      the
      Avalanche
      gambit
      with
      a
      third
     
     
      rock,
      so
      I
      switched
      strategies
      at
      the
     
     
      last
      second."
     
    

    
     
      A
      series
      of
      eight
      gamets
      are
     
     
      commonly
      used
      on
      the
      world
      stage,
     
     
      including
      The
      Crescendo
      (paper,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      going
      Home
      FOr
     
     
      EL
      OL
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      beat
      all
      web
      fares,
      guaranteed*
     
    
   
   
    
     
      es
     
     
      ee
     
     
      See
      the
      world
      your
      way
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Call
      Toll
      Free
     
     
      1-888-FLY-CUTS
      (359-2887)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      *Some
      conditions
      apply.
      Contact
      us
      for
      more
      details.
      Travel
      CUTS
      is
      owned
      &
      operated
      by
      the
      Canadian
      Federation
      of
      Students.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      scissors,
      rock)
      and
      Paper
      Dolls
     
     
      (paper,
      scissors,
      scissors).
     
    

    
     
      According
      to
      the
      World
      RPS
     
     
      website,
      rock,
      paper,
      scissors
      began
     
     
      in
      1842
      in
      London,
      England
      after
      a
     
     
      law
      was
      passed
      declaring
      that
      agree-
     
     
      ments
      reached
      by
      using
      rock,
      paper,
     
     
      scissors
      were
      legally
      binding.
      But
     
     
      recreational
      players
      became
      upset
      by
     
     
      the
      legal
      aspect
      of
      the
      game
      and
      the
     
     
      club
      eventually
      broke
      free
      from
      the
     
     
      long
      arm
      of
      the
      law.
     
    

    
     
      In
      1918,
      the
      World
      RPS
      Club
     
     
      moved
      from
      London,
      England
      to
     
     
      Toronto,
      Ontario.
      As
      membership
     
     
      grew
      to
      over
      1,000
      members
      in
     
     
      1935,
      they
      dropped
      their
      club
      status
     
     
      and
      adopted
      the
      name
      The
      World
     
     
      RPS
      Society.
     
    

    
     
      Today,
      the
      Society
      is
      dedicat-
     
     
      ed
      to
      promoting
      RPS
      as
      a
      fun
      and
     
     
      safe
      way
      to
      resolve
      disputes.
      As
      the
     
     
      governing
      body
      of
      the
      sport,
      the
     
     
      Society
      provides
      it
      members
      with
     
     
      conferences,
      symposiums
      and
     
     
      retreats
      around
      the
      world
      to
      further
     
     
      their
      skills.
     
    

    
     
      In
      conjunction
      with
      this
     
     
      year's
      world
      championships
      the
     
     
      Society
      released
      an
      excerpt
      from
      an
     
     
      upcoming
      DVD
      on
      their
      website.
      In
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      teaser,
      world-class
      player
      Mr.
      C.
     
     
      Urbanus
      provides
      a
      series
      of
      tips
      and
     
     
      instructions
      for
      the
      aspiring
      player:
     
    

    
     
      Tips
      #32,
      the
      element
      of
      sur-
     
     
      prise
      —
      if
      you
      expect
      someone
      to
     
     
      throw
      a
      rock
      then
      you"re
      going
      to
     
     
      throw
      paper
      and
      they
      throw
      scissors
     
     
      then
      you
      lose.
     
    

    
     
      Tip
      #72,
      Sicilian
      Reasoning
     
     
      —
      This
      has
      a
      lot
      to
      do
      with
      how
     
     
      much
      they
      know
      about
      you
      and
      how
     
     
      much
      you
      know
      about
      them.
      So
      if
     
     
      they
      know
      you're
      apt
      to
      lead
      with
     
     
      rock
      then
      they're
      going
      to
      throw
     
     
      paper.
      So
      if
      you
      know
      that
      they
     
     
      know
      that
      you"re
      going
      to
      throw
     
     
      rock
      and
      they're
      going
      to
      throw
     
     
      paper
      then
      you
      can
      throw
      scissors.
     
     
      But
      then
      you
      have
      the
      other
      thing
     
     
      going
      where
      they
      would
      know
      that
     
     
      you
      know
      that
      they
      know
      that
      you
     
     
      know
      and
      you'll
      just
      have
      to
      play
      it
     
     
      by
      ear.
     
     
      Urbanus'
      advice,
      like
      the
     
     
      Society
      itself,
      seems
      too
      bizarre
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      be
      true.
      But
      with
      the
      official
      head-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      quarters
      of
      the
      World
      RPS
      Society
      in
     
     
      Toronto
      and
      a
      homegrown
      World
     
     
      champion,
      Canadian
      sports
      fans
     
     
      might
      be
      better
      off
      playing
      along.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      i
     
     
      2
     
     
      :
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘Sat.,
      Nov
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
           
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      directed
      by
      Cynthia
      Dunstord
      Sy
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEIL
      Cadre
      November
      10
      2003
      page
      8