[Prince Caspian]

I've never known how this game works. What's the deal? Scissors cut paper, rock dulls scissors, whatever... What does this mean? How do you win?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Most people start with a stone or scissors. Of the two, stone is more likely, so I always begin with paper. I figure scissor is better for the second play because my opponent will react to my stone with the opposite (paper)on the second play. I can usualy win two out of three this way.
It takes a great deal of training and helps to have majored in pinball at a Big Ten university, as I did.

[Cicero]

I haven't played since I was about ten years old. Scissors cuts paper, paper covers rock, rock breaks scissors.

[CougarGA7]

Here maybe this will help.

Rock, Paper, Scissors - Official Rules

[HIDEK6]

How do you win?

At its highest level, this is a test of the contestants' aptitude at game theory, a respected mathematical exercise.

[Junior]

Paper covers rock.

[jejones]

The game is interesting from a game-theoretical standpoint because there's no optimal solution in the game theory sense. (It's been way too long since I took linear programming, but I vaguely recall the term "saddle point" used with reference to rock paper scissors.)