Teacher makes cut in Rock Paper Scissors event

by Jim Butler
The Brian College-Station Eagle

Strategies are handed down from player to player. They have their own terminology and - as with most activities that host a national championship - the enthusiasts have multiple Web sites dedicated to their passion.

No wonder ESPN plans to air a taped showing of the competition.

A&M Consolidated teacher Fara Goodwyn will compete in the Rock Paper Scissors championship in Las Vegas this weekend.

The question is, will A&M Consolidated High School put itself on the map in this mother of all RPS contests?

That's Rock Paper Scissors for those who didn't know. The pop culture phenomenon has become so huge that A&M Consolidated teacher Fara Goodwyn can win $50,000 this weekend if she ends up the victor in a competition with 324 other people.

Contestants from across the nation made it to the USA Rock Paper Scissors League national championship in Las Vegas. Yes, it's an official league. Check it out at www.usarps.com.

Goodwyn and husband, Ryan, also a teacher and the swim coach at Consol, were at a St. Patrick's Day party at the Corner Bar in Northgate when a sign-up sheet was passed around for the local Rock Paper Scissors contest. When the matches were held during the Northgate Music Festival in March, only six people showed up. Goodwyn beat her husband in the finals to win the all-expenses-paid, three-day trip to Vegas, but both are making the journey.

"We're going to use it to celebrate out 12th anniversary," Goodwyn said earlier this week.

The rules to RPS are simple. Two players face each other, and at a signal from a referee, each player pumps an arm three times before making a "throw," which is one of three hand configurations in the other palm. A closed fist is rock, open hand is paper, and index finger and middle finger spread in a V is scissors. Rock smashes scissors, paper covers rock and scissors cut paper.

In the tournament, the best two-of-three "throws" is a bout, and the best two-of-three bouts is a match.

HOW TO PLAY

• Rock beats scissors

• Scissors beat paper

• Paper beats rock

"After I won the match, I looked RPS up on the Internet," Goodwyn said. "There are people who are fanatic about this. There are strategies called 'gambits,' which are memorized patterns. Three successive rocks is called an avalanche. Three scissors in a row is called a tool box. Three papers is called confetti.

"I don't plan on doing any of that stuff. I just go on instinct."

What Goodwyn, who teaches life skills, does plan is to call on her Irish luck.

"I ordered a bunch of stuff online," Goodwyn said, displaying shamrock necklaces and other good luck charms. "They want us to dress up, so I'm going to wear the same dress I wore to the St. Patrick's Day party. I'll be Lady Luck."

The competition begins at 2 p.m. Saturday at Mandalay Bay and continues until the field is narrowed to 16. The finals start at 6 p.m. Sunday.

"On one hand, I wouldn't mind getting eliminated early so we can spend more time just seeing Vegas," said Goodwyn, who has never been there. "On the other hand, I really want to win."