Another solution: Practice dynamic visual acuity and predict the opponent’s move via their hand shape.
The extreme version of this strategy looks like this robot.
The human version of this strategy (source) is to realize that rock is the weakest (since it is easy to recognize as there is no change in hand shape over time, given that the default hand-state is usually rock), and so conclude that the best strategy is to play paper if you recognize no change in hand shape, and play scissor if you recognize any movement (because it means it’s either paper or scissor, and scissor gives win or draw)[1].
This is of course vulnerable to exploitation once the opponent knows you’re using this and they also have good dynamic visual acuity (eg opponent can randomize the default hand-state, diagonalize against your heuristic by inserting certain twitches to their hand movement, etc).
When I remember to, I try to keep my fist in a “neutral” state (thumb not touching fist so it’s easy to either close or open) until after my hand starts moving, but I do wonder how common hand-shape prediction is, and if so, how often high-level players try to “bait.”
I don’t take the game very seriously outside of the bot exercises and I’ve never played in irl tournaments.
Another solution: Practice dynamic visual acuity and predict the opponent’s move via their hand shape.
The extreme version of this strategy looks like this robot.
The human version of this strategy (source) is to realize that rock is the weakest (since it is easy to recognize as there is no change in hand shape over time, given that the default hand-state is usually rock), and so conclude that the best strategy is to play paper if you recognize no change in hand shape, and play scissor if you recognize any movement (because it means it’s either paper or scissor, and scissor gives win or draw)[1].
This is of course vulnerable to exploitation once the opponent knows you’re using this and they also have good dynamic visual acuity (eg opponent can randomize the default hand-state, diagonalize against your heuristic by inserting certain twitches to their hand movement, etc).
When I remember to, I try to keep my fist in a “neutral” state (thumb not touching fist so it’s easy to either close or open) until after my hand starts moving, but I do wonder how common hand-shape prediction is, and if so, how often high-level players try to “bait.”
I don’t take the game very seriously outside of the bot exercises and I’ve never played in irl tournaments.