+++
title = "rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock!"

author = "Danilo M."
type = "life"
date = "2010-11-10T14:08:19+00:00"
image = "/uppies/2010/11/nimoy-spock.jpg"
categories = [ "Blogging"]
tags = ["game", "lizard", "paper", "rock", "scissors", "spock"]
excerpt = "Adding Lizard and Spock to Rock Paper Scissors eliminates ties between regular players."
+++
Who among you, my loyal (3) readers, hasn’t played at least once in their life the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors? Well, if you have, you’ve probably noticed that among players who play frequently, there’s an 80% chance of a tie due to the limited number of options…

Here comes the expansion of the classic game to the rescue: **Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock!**

In this expansion, 2 additional symbols are added: the hand in the shape of a lizard (similar to the snake in Chinese shadow puppets) and the classic Vulcan salute (index and middle finger together, and ring and little finger together).

The interactions, and therefore the rules, multiply accordingly and become:

*   **Scissors** cuts **paper**.
*   **Rock** crushes **lizard**.
*   **Lizard** poisons **Spock**.
*   **Spock** breaks **scissors**.
*   **Scissors** decapitates **lizard**.
*   **Lizard** eats **paper**.
*   **Paper** disproves **Spock**.
*   **Spock** vaporizes **rock**.
*   **Rock** crushes **scissors**.

Doesn’t that seem much more fun, doesn’t it? :grin:

Did you know that this expansion of the classic game was even mentioned in a 2005 article in The Times? The invention is said to be attributed to [Sam Kass and Karen Bryla][1] and dates back to the mid-1990s.

So now, everyone play! :wink:

[1]: https://www.samkass.com/theories/RPSSL.html "RPSSL webpage"