Rock Paper Scissors Rules - Official Rules & Regional Variations

Rock Paper Scissors is decided by three hand shapes: • Rock ✊ beats Scissors (rock crushes scissors) • Paper ✋ beats Rock (paper covers rock) • Scissors ✌️ beats Paper (scissors cut paper) If both players show the same shape, it is a draw and usually replayed. Known in English as Rock Paper Scissors (RPS), and historically as Roshambo.

In Korea, the standard call is "Gawi Bawi Bo!" (가위바위보 — scissors rock paper). Two follow-up calls exist for what happens when you fail to throw in time: "An naemyeon jin geo" (you lose if you do not throw) or "An naemyeon sullae" (you become the chaser/penalty if you fail). The first is more common in Seoul; the latter in some provinces. Gababo follows the auto-loss rule: if you do not pick in time, you lose by default.

Japanese Janken uses the same hand shapes and rules, but with the call "Saisho wa guu, janken pon!" Draws often add the follow-up "aiko desho!" ("we are tied — again!"). RPS is widely used in everyday Japanese decision-making.

In the US, the call is usually "Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot!" or shortened to "Ro, Sham, Bo!". Players bounce their fist on a four-beat count, throwing the shape on the fourth beat. The World Rock Paper Scissors Society hosts an annual championship.

Three common ways to handle a draw: 1. Replay — most common; the same round is replayed. 2. No score — tournaments often skip the draw, no point awarded. 3. Tiebreaker — some rules use a coin flip after 3 consecutive draws. Gababo single mode replays on a draw; best-of-three skips drawn rounds without scoring.

Best-of-three is "first to 2 wins" — not "always 3 rounds". • 2-0 ends the match (no 3rd round). • 2-1 ends after 3 rounds. • Drawn rounds do not count and are replayed. The same logic applies to best-of-five, best-of-seven, etc. Gababo follows this standard.

Official RPS tournaments (WRPSA, etc.) follow strict standards: • Four-beat tempo with the shape thrown on the fourth beat • Simultaneous reveal — no late reveal • No shape switching mid-throw • Drawn rounds do not score • Match format: best-of-3 or best-of-5 Online RPS games like Gababo enforce fairness with time limits and simultaneous reveal.

• How to play (modes and gameplay): /how-to-play • How to win RPS (strategy and statistics): /strategy • RPS variants (Mukjjippa, Odd-Even, Hana-Bbaegi): /variants • RPS psychology and mind games: /psychology • History of Rock Paper Scissors: /history