"Street" RPS Strategy

[Master Roshambollah]

This elementary treatise does not pretend to deal with the multitudinous problems (personal, financial, legal and moral) associated with real Street RPS.  Instead I will focus on some basic strategies for "legitimate" Street RPS, typically played at large tournaments with fake RPS "bucks."

This type of play involves players recieving a certain amount of RPS money at the start of a tournament, or when they are ejected.  They are then allowed to "gamble" the money on non-regulated matches.  Usually, whoever ends up with the most RPS bucks wins a prize.  At the recent SW ProAms, RPS bucks were used to bid in an auction for sponsor prizes.

This type of play has been seen at the Toronto Internationals, the SW ProAms in California, the USARPS Championship,  and the Philadelphia City League (where the bucks feature RPS celebrities such as Brad Fox, Custardchuk and Master Pete.  I am told that the bill bearing my own likeness can be purchased on EBay for many times its face value.)  

How can one succeed in this sort of environment?  Other than the fundamentals of sound play, here are some ideas that are bound to improve your game.

The Basic Hustle  This is too complex of a subject to cover in full, and could fill many books.  The premise is to set up one's opponent for a future loss by playing below one's level on the opening match.  For example, one may bet only one buck, or nothing on an opening match, and lose.  The next match is played for higher stakes, since the opponent now has a false sense of superiority.  The Minneapolis based Team Hustler specializes in this tactic, and I am told they offer weekend seminars on the subject ("Amazing Real Life Experience!" their brochure states.  Contact the Reverend Roshambo via PM for more info.)  It goes without saying that the Basic Hustle combines very well with the Urbanus Defense.

Bet It All  The player using this strategy seeks maximum gain on every match, and always bets as much money as he or she has.  This strategy has obvious pitfalls for the unwary; lose one match and you're out.  However, it combines very well with the Reeves Approach ("Always choose the winning throw", named after Kat Reeves, famed RPS player against whom I've competed on three different continents.)  Rare is the player who is the equal to this style.

One at a Time  This style is somewhat more cautious, with predictable results.  The player using it goes up and down slowly.  They are rarely seen completely out of RPS bucks, but they are also never in the top moneymakers.  This conservative style is its own downfall.  I will more explore more realistic "money management" strategies at the end of this article.

Get a Backer  This is a strategy adopted from betting on RPS with real money.  Simply find someone with more RPS bucks than you, but with less skill.  Offer to play on their behalf, and split the profits.  

Play People with Less Money  RPS bucks are like bullets.  If your opponent has more, they have a better chance of outlasting you.  There is no gain to be had in betting against players with more money.  Conversely, try to hide how much you actually have.  If you put out that you only have two RPS bucks left, a player with ten may find you easy pickin's (not knowing you have twenty more in reserve.)

Mr. Nice Guy  People who are about to lose all their RPS bucks will just give it to you instead.  Geir the Viking used this last year, and went on to be a successful backer and manager for the eventual Street Champ.

Tag Team  This tactic was recently used, to great effect, at the SW ProAms by Fattyus Maximus and the Midnight Rider.  The match is played as normal, but the active player on each team can "tag out," allowing the other player to "tag in" to the match.  The count remains the same.  Many players will be confused by this tactic, and will most likely not have experience with this style of play.  Experienced tag teams will know each other's style of play, and will know when to tag out and when to stay in.

Know the Organizers  I can't really say much about this one, but knowing the organizers of a tournament has obvious advantages when it comes to Street RPS.

Get Creative  Last year's Internationals featured individuals go-go dancing, stripping and offering personal services for RPS bucks.

Money Management  The wise player carves out a path between the extremes of "Bet It All" and "One at a Time."  Some players never bet more than half their available funds, in essence betting that they can win one out of every two matches they play.  Other, less confident players bet one third of their stake, maximum.

I have personally used a sysytem, to great effect, borrowed from baccarat.  Baccarat is a great model for RPS gambling, as their are only three results to any hand: win, lose or tie.  Also, the game offers very close to even payouts (1-1 betting on player, 95-100 betting bank.)  For the purpose of this treatise we are ignoring ties, which pay off in baccarat at 8 to 1.  Conceivably, a player skilled in Hagi Naktrah play (which is to say, playing to tie rather than to win) could bet on a tie.  If I were doing this, I would do so at odds no less than 2-1.

The basic betting progression is to raise the stakes when winning, and keep them low when losing.  This prevents a "losing streak" from wiping out your funds.  Also, it echoes the words of William S. Burroughs, here paraphrased: "The only gambling system that makes sense is to plunge when you are winning and cut your losses when losing.  The worst system of gambling, as in life, is to increase your bet when you are losing."

The basic bet progression is as follows:  one unit, three units, six units.  If one wins a match, try to increase your bet to the next level for the next match, even if you have to find another player to do it.  If you lose a match, return to one unit for the next bet.  

Consider how this works:  If you win this first match, you now have gambled one buck and made one buck.  If you lose the second match, you only end up two down from your original amount, not three (the third buck was "won money.")  The third bet is even better.  After winning the second, you have made four bucks.  If you lose the third bet, you are still only two down from your original bet.

After the 1-3-6, opinion is divided on how to proceed.  Some revert to another 1-3-6.  Others maintain a 6 unit bet until a loss.  Others press, with a 1-3-6-6-7-8-9 etc.  Trust your judgement.

The end of a good Street RPS environment ends up with massive "all in" bets, once the bucks are too many too count.  For these exciting matches, sometimes involving thousands of bucks, I will the player to his or her own genius when it comes to appropriate strategy.

[Brad Fox]

This type of play has been seen at the Toronto Internationals, the SW ProAms in California, the USARPS Championship,  and the Philadelphia City League (where the bucks feature RPS celebrities such as Brad Fox, Custardchuk and Master Pete.

You have got to be kidding me. To hear that there are RPS bucks - instruments facillitating the downfall of the sport as we know it - with my picture on it? That has to be some sick member of the PBRPRPSCLCS's idea of a joke.

[Master Roshambollah]

I would like to introduce to the Board a cutting-edge money management strategy for Street RPS.  It contains elements of the "Mr. Nice Guy" approach above, but funds are shared, not donated.  Instead of humanitary reasons, the goals are more mercenary.  As the first to openly acknowledge this system, which has been around in basic form for awhile, I am naming it "Pooling."

Basic Pooling has probably been used since the first sanitized "Street" RPS match to be held at an event sanctioned by a major RPS organization.  Few who have attended such events with friends have not considered the basic premise:  "Hey...if we pool our resources, we have a better chance of winning this thing."  With groups of close friends, this strategy can work well.  Team DC Gambit have espoused an "all for one, one for all" ethic since the team's inception.  Things get interesting when former enemies decide to cooperate to increase their chances of winning the prize.

There is an optimal point to stop playing Street RPS: 1/2 c + 1, where c is the total amount of Street RPS currency in circulation.  At this point, were it known, a competitor could smugly sit back with nothing to lose and nothing to gain from further matches.  This rarely happens, though it is not uncommon to see a group of four or five people holding more than half of the RPS Street Bucks in circulation.  

At this point, unlikely alliances begin to form.  In an actual tournament environment, the amount in circulation is not known to the players.  For the sake of argument, assume they do.

In this situation, it may be possible for the players with the first and second highest amounts to conspire.  It would not be absurd to imagine a situation where the first two players would have enough to equal more than 1/2 c.  Alternatively, players two and three may also have more than 1/2c, and could easily conspire to bring down the number one player.

This situation can cause headaches for organizers.  In a sanctioned "Street" RPS environment, there will always be shady deals going down between the top players.  For instance, several players who may have "legitimately" earned their RPS bucks may take umbrage at two players pooling funds, especially if this is done well after all other players have already submitted their totals.  Consider also a situation where in a group of five players, one has just found out that she has the most Street Bucks.  Players two through five might then say, "No you don't.  Combined, we have enough to beat you, and we're splitting the total four ways."  Should this be allowed?

Veteran RPS player and standout referee, "The Saint," once uttered these wise words to a confused player:  "Well, you know, it is Street RPS."  He then walked away.  I think these words are so important, they should be included as a motto on all future Street RPS currency.

There are several ways to handle this issue:

1)  Issue a "last call" for Street RPS buck submission.  Have the players stuff the amounts into an large envelope, then seal it and count it.
2)  At the SW ProAms, the Roshambo Winery found a novel solution to this problem, as well as the onerous task of counting Street RPS bucks:  they held an auction, with Street RPS for currency.  The prizes were all donated from sponsors.  There were about twenty different prizes, including an iPod and dinner at a great local restaurant.  
3)  Make the top eight players take each other on in a tournament, either single elimination or gambling with the very bucks they have won.  This would be difficult to implement, but would make for some exciting game play.
4)  Here is what I believe to be the best solution, and the future of Street RPS.  Instead of hiding the problem, incorporate it.  Players should know exactly how much Street RPS currency is in circulation before the event begins.  Alternately, as Street RPS bucks may enter circulation throughout the tournament, running totals may be announced.  Players should be encouraged to self-count, the official numbers to be verified by Street RPS "officials."  The top Street RPS players usually begin to show themselves about an hour before the tournament's end.  I feel that in the current environment, these players should know approximately how much money everyone has at the end of the night.  At this point, alliances can be made between players to take the top prize.  This could lead to interesting dynamics, as enemies join forces and former friends turn on one another.  The logistics of this could be difficult to arrange.  Perhaps even a private room would be needed.  Someone should make a TV show about it.

The only problem remaining with system 4 is how players will distribute winnings.  A top player will usually espouse a meritocracy. Players recieve "shares" of the prize based on how many bucks they contribute.  This could be tedious micromanagement for some, and many players who aren't in the number one spot would balk.  The reasoning is:  "Why should I join forces with the number one player for a 60/40 split, when I can join with the number three player and split things 50/50?  

I will end this brief discussion of Pooling with a parallel note about another issue facing Street RPS.  The current systems for counting totals of RPS bucks are all unsatisfactory to varying degrees.  "Eyeballing," or estimating, is common, but can be highly imprecise, especially if the bucks are crumpled.  A limited "exact count" method can be used, but this is time-consuming and can also be confusing in the dark landscape of Street RPS.  Encouraging players to "self-count," with numbers to be verified by official counters, is a great idea, easy to implement, and could save tournament staff a lot of time and headaches.  I have heard one clever individual suggest that weighing the RPS bucks is the solution, though this would require procurement of a large and precise scale.  Another possible solution is offering to "change color," or exchange RPS bucks for units of higher denominations.  A basic RPS buck could be grey, while a ten could be green.  A twenty could have a gold stamp, and denominations of 100 and higher could be coins.  Surely, the first "Bank of Street RPS" cannot be far away.

[Wayne]

(where the bucks feature RPS celebrities such as Brad Fox, Custardchuk and Master Pete. I am told that the bill bearing my own likeness can be purchased on EBay for many times its face value.)

i can't find any on ebay...

[TripleA]

In doing some background research for next months show I stumbled across this post on the phily league site. Sorry Brad. I suspect we don't share the same *reasons* for not liking this newest mutation of the game, but I suspect that this a bit of a slap in the face given the eloquent letter you wrote last October.

I thought you were on reasonably good terms with the Philly City League, yet this seems like a pretty mean-spirited jest at your expense, no?

AAA

[Wayne]

In doing some background research for next months show

by next month, u don't mean july right?

[TripleA]

No, I was referring to Augusts show.

We should be able to broadcast the new episode this weekend (fingers crossed) the Canada day and July 4th holidays made it tough to confirm interviews. We'll make up for it with an extra-long episode though - there's way too much good stuff to cover in 30 minutes.

AAA

[Midnight Rider]

I reckon its about time that the Midnight Rider shared his strategy for so-called Street RPS.  That is to say, for the cleaned up, sanitized, family friendly version of Street RPS that wiley tournament organizers try to pass off as the real thing.  

I read Rosh's strategies, and they sure do make for some mighty fine readin'.  But it's obvious to me, and anyone else who's played the game, that he's either deliberately puttin' us all on (maybe to help out his own stable of players) or he's been out of the loop for so long that he thinks his tactics are viable.  Sure, there are a couple of usable tips in there, but a lot of it is just horse feathers.

My "Street" RPS strategy is basically a modified version of Rosh's "Bet It All" strategy.  This strategy comes with some risk.  You end up betting your whole stake in the first match, and if you lose, you're out.  But here's where Rosh got it wrong:  you don't have to win every match after the first.   Here's an example:  Let's say at a 128 player tournament, each player gets 10 "Street" RPS bucks.  A player bets it all on the first match and wins.  Now the player has 20 bucks.    In all likelihood, very few other players have "bet it all" in the first match.  This means that, aside from pooling, our protagonist has more money than any other player there.  It's like playing hold 'em:  with judicious play, the player with the most chips has a definite advantage.  

At this point, the player goes off to find another player to "bet it all" against.  As the player keeps playing, even with a loss he or she can still stay in the game.  Holding 20, let's say the player finds someone only willing to bet five.  No big deal.  At that rate our player can lose four matches in a row, which is pretty rare, if you're me at least.  With continuously increasing bets, our player will always stand head and shoulders above the rest of the pack.  The only problem is that the player will probably need someone to help him or her carry all the money.

So there it is.  A sure-fire, bang-up "Street" RPS strategy just in time for the Fall season.  Two words of warning:  first, just remember that all great RPS players only share their strategies when they have an effective counter!  Don't go tryin' to pull any of the above if the Rider is in the pit.  Second, don't try any of the above strategies (mine, Rosh's or anybody's) if you're playing Real Street RPS.  Doing so could quite literally get you killed.  If you don't remember anything else I tell you, remember that.  My optimal Real Street RPS strategy has remained unchanged for years:  come well-armed, ride with a posse, and try to make sure you're always the second most successful person there.  Real Street RPS is rarely a winner take all affair.  You play with real money, not monopoly money.  It's hard to tell who's losing the most, but its easy to spot who's been winning the most.  If you hang back in second, or even third place, you draw a lot less attention and are less of a target, especially if you've followed my first two points.

[martinburley]

I'd add another point to consider here. If you are playing a player who you think is worse than you, playing a longer format game, or playing best-of-three, improves your odds of winning. Statistically speaking, if you have a 2/3 chance of beating them in a best-of-three game, then you have a 74% chance of beating them in a best-of-three-of-three. (If your opponent is wary of longer games, try suggesting you play best-of-three of a shorter format. In effect, playing best-of-three of a best-of-three format is just the same as playing one best-of-three-of-three.)

Against better players, you're better off playing shorter-format. You don't want to give your opponent more than one chance to beat you.

You can also turn this around to look at the amount you should bet. If you're playing best-of-three games, *and* playing against the same opponent until one of you is wiped out, then if possible you should play for large stakes each game against better players, and smaller stakes per game against weaker players. (Though even better would be to avoid the better players altogether!) A similar point applies to betting in casinos, where the casino has the edge: if you want to double your money, you'll do better betting $100 on one hand, than betting small amounts over lots of hands.

[Geir The Viking]

As the coach for a former street champion and, admittedly, the brain behind this year's Team Norway Viking's failed street strategy, I want to focus on one all-important aspect: Timing. If you don't have the luxury of an early lead in the competition, the way up during the night can be troublesome. We systematically tried to empty all the overly drunken men in the beginning of the night, as a safe way to build capital. The problem was of course not about getting the money out of them, but the time it took. Playing the overly drunk involves a lot of off-topic talk, high five-ing and being introduced to other drunk people that already had lost their money.

At the time we reached our peak of approx. 400 dollars and wanted to go from betting 20 to 100 per match, the people we wanted to beat didn't want to play us. We didn't have enough money to be an interesting opponent. Even though the three of us used almost all of Rosh's strategies mentioned above, we were simply too late.

I take full responsibility of this failed strategy, but still want to provide an explanation for why this took us by surprise:
1) Our incredible success in 2005 (do not underestimate the power of a nine-year-old)
2) The one rule we enforced when putting up the Norwegian Street Championships this year: One couldn't turn down a challenge.

The notion of rules within Street RPS might seem ridiculous at first, but coming from a social democracy, it felt natural and worked very well. The effect was a high degree of tension and uncertainty right up to the last minute of the competitions.

The lesson of timing leared by Team Norway Vikings this year, once again underline the importance of good intelligence and coaching. If you know who to play at what time, and have a good overview of the wealth-distribution, you can do well even with mediocre players. Or, as happened to us, mediocre intelligence can lead excellent players to mediocre results in a hard street tournament.

Would be interesting to hear the perspective from more successful players this year...

[srn347]

I know the prisoner dilemma can be used to solve this situation, but I don't know how.