Florida Woman Shares How To Win At ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ Every Time. It’s Based On Science

If you want to become unstoppable at rock, paper, scissors, one woman says she has the trick. Apparently, science agrees.

Popular TikTok creator Lexi (@yolkfather) shared a strategy she claims works almost every time. “This is how you win rock, paper, scissors every time. According to science,” she begins.

Lexi explains that a group of researchers in China actually studied the game and discovered a simple pattern. “They wrote a paper about the psychology of rock, paper, scissors and found a strategy that is super simple but works almost every time,” she says.

But there’s one condition: The strategy only works if you’re playing best two out of three. “The first round doesn’t really matter,” she notes.

Even so, there’s a small tip for that first throw. According to Lexi, “Men are more likely to choose rock first, and women are more likely to choose scissors.” Still, she insists, “It really doesn’t matter if you win that first round.”

So How Does The Hack Work?

“If you won the first round,” Lexi says, “you’re gonna use whatever would have beaten you the first time.” For example, if you won with rock, throw paper next. “Your opponent is way more likely to choose what you used to win in the first round,” she explains.

But if you lost that first round, you flip the logic. “You’re gonna use whatever your opponent used to beat you,” she says. So if they beat your scissors with rock, play rock in the second round. “And repeat that for the last round.”

According to her, that’s how you win rock, paper, scissors almost every time.

Is This Backed By Science?

As it turns out, it is. As Lexi explained, a team of scientists in China ran a large experiment with 360 students. They split the group into sets of six and had them play 300 rounds of rock, paper, scissors, with each win earning them a small cash prize.

While the students played, the researchers watched how their choices shifted from round to round, especially after wins and losses. They noticed a pattern.

When someone won a round, they tended to stick with the same move the next time. When they lost, they often changed it up. But they didn’t just switch randomly. They usually chose the move that would beat the one that had just beaten them.

So for example, if someone lost with scissors to rock, they were more likely to throw paper in the next round. That way, if their opponent stuck with rock (which the data suggests they might), they’d win. The researchers called this the “win-stay, lose-shift” method.

Commenters Are Excited to Try It

TikTokers quickly chimed in with thoughts, some eager to test it out.

“Ima try this next time I have to do rock paper scissors cause I can never manage to win!!” one person said.

Another admitted, “Tried this and promptly lost both rounds.”

 

A third viewer tested it in sports: “FYI I tried this strategy in women’s volleyball and they do NOT pick scissors. They mostly chose rock. Must be some sort of athletic/testosterone thing. More study is needed!”

And one person wrote, “Men choosing rock and women choosing scissors feels right on several levels.”

Brobible has reached out to Lexi for comment via email.