Rock-paper-scissors
Use rock-paper-scissors for a two-person tie you do not care about. Best of one. Then move. Rematches until the preferred winner appears are a conversation in disguise.
All comparisons
Just for fun
Rock-paper-scissors or a vote
A hand game is perfect for who goes first. It is a strange way to choose dinner for eight.
Rock-paper-scissors settles a tie between two people who agree the stakes are tiny: who starts, who picks from a pair, who gets the good chair. It is fast and arbitrary. A short vote records a preference among several people or several options. It takes minutes and it reflects what people wanted.
Do not use a hand game to overrule a constraint. Do not open a full ranked vote to decide who deals. Match the tool to the size of the question.
A short vote
Use a vote when more than two people care, or the options are a list. One link, or the choices on paper. Then stop lobbying for the option that lost.
What actually differs
| Difference | Rock-paper-scissors | A short vote |
|---|---|---|
| People | Two | Two or a crowd |
| Options | Who goes first, or a pair | A list |
| Fairness | Chance | Preferences |
| Time | Seconds | A few minutes |
| Wrong job | Choosing for eight people | Choosing who shuffles |
Questions about this choice
What about a bracket for the whole group?
A party trick. People who lose first never touch the final. If you want every preference to count, vote instead of building a tournament.
Can a vote be only two options?
Yes. That is a comparison. Two options, the people involved, and a result you do instead of reopening.