Texas man wins Rock Paper Scissors tourney

by Robbi Pickeral
Charlotte Observer

Jamie Langridge of Odessa, Texas, won the second annual USA Rock Paper Scissors Tournament in Las Vegas over the weekend, beating out more than 300 contestants -- including five from North Carolina.

Cary's Aaron Rich and Kinston's Brandon Houghton advanced to the round of 16 before losing late Sunday night. Carolina Beach's Scott Corso lost in the round of 32, and Charlotte's Randall Bost and Greensboro's Marvin Richardson II had also advanced from regional tournaments to compete.

"To me, the experience was the most exciting thing,'' said Rich, the only contestant who picked up a sponsor, the entertainment Web site bodog.com. "I met all kinds of people from the league, from ESPN ... and when it was all over, at least 300 people came up to meet me."

At the end of the second annual tournament, Rich was challenged by Phil Gordon -- a professional poker player who served as head referee of the event -- to a first-to-10 individual throwdown. Rich won 10-7, winning $5,000 from Gordon.