<P> Rock--paper--scissors is often used as a fair choosing method between two people, similar to coin flipping, drawing straws, or throwing dice in order to settle a dispute or make an unbiased group decision . Unlike truly random selection methods, however, rock--paper--scissors can be played with a degree of skill by recognizing and exploiting non-random behavior in opponents . </P> <P> The players usually count aloud to three, or speak the name of the game (e.g. "Rock! Paper! Scissors!" or "Ro Sham Bo!"), each time either raising one hand in a fist and swinging it down on the count or holding it behind . They then "throw" by extending it towards their opponent . Variations include a version where players use only three counts before throwing their gesture (thus throwing on the count of "Scissors!" or "Bo!"), or a version where they shake their hands three times before "throwing". </P> <P> The first known mention of the game was in the book Wuzazu (zh) by the Chinese Ming - dynasty writer Xie Zhaozhi (zh) (fl . c. 1600), who wrote that the game dated back to the time of the Chinese Han dynasty (206 BC--220 AD). In the book, the game was called shoushiling . Li Rihua's book Note of Liuyanzhai also mentions this game, calling it shoushiling (t . 手勢 令; s . 手势 令), huozhitou (t . 豁 指頭; s . 豁 指头), or huoquan (豁 拳). </P> <P> Throughout Japanese history there are frequent references to sansukumi - ken, meaning ken (fist) games where "the three who are afraid of one another" (i.e. A beats B, B beats C, and C beats A). This type of game originated in China before being imported to Japan and subsequently also becoming popular among the Japanese . </P>

How do you say rock paper scissors in chinese