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"One, two, three, shoot!"
Athens may be hosting this summer's Olympics, but Saturday night, at the DC9 Lounge, the capital was home to its very own sporting event: the 2004 Magic Hat D.C. National Rock Paper Scissors (RPS) Championship. Often considered child's play, RPS competitors cite their childhood playground as the beginning of their careers. Friday's stakes were a bit higher, as the competition drew 128 athletes eager to compete for $1,500 in cash prizes and serious bragging rights.
RPS, as defined by the World RPS Society, which governs all worldwide RPS tournaments, is "a decision-making game of wits, speed, dexterity and strategy," whose result is to be considered "a binding agreement" between players. Given the obligation to abide by the outcome of the game, the World RPS Society Player's Responsibility Code offers a solemn warning to all players: "Think twice before using RPS for life-threatening decisions."
Fortunately, most responsible players simply use RPS as a means to resolve minor everyday disputes such as who will take out the trash and, according to Dave Edelson, co-captain of the local D.C. Gambits, "who gets the last beer in the fridge." Edelson, the self-proclaimed David Beckham of RPS, also noted that the rising price of gas this summer has led to more bickering about money and consequently increased his recreational RPS play.
The D.C. Gambits, named after the revolutionary RPS technique of using a series of three pre-selected throws, were one of the four local teams - The Associates, the Three Stooges and Team Prince - that came determined to win. Although RPS players compete one-on-one, tournament officials encourage the creation of teams as a source of morale and to intimidate opponents.
