Decisions are made every day by way of rock, paper, scissors, but usually, it does not win a trip to Las Vegas.

Last night at the Sports Café, 244 W. College Ave., the regional Ro-Sham-Bo competition was held, sponsored by Anheuser-Busch and W.R. Hickey Beer Distributor Inc., 1321 E. College Ave., sending the winner-- Julie Tardino (graduate-business administration) and a guest to Sin City for the national finals.

Flight, hotel, meals and drinks will all be complimentary, said Brian Rutter, who works for W. R. Hickey.

"Every market sends someone to nationals and there are 392 markets," he said.

The bar was packed by the 8:30 p.m. check-in time for competitors. Semi-finals were held all over State College during the past month, in which the final four were eligible for last night's competition. Many were there for support, sporting T-shirts and signs.

"If he wins he's taking me," said Tommy Corrado (senior-hotel, restaurant and institutional management) of his friend, Joe Bryant (senior-industrial engineering).

However, Corrado lucked out and snagged a place in the standings because of a no-show.

"I lost at the Brewery by one round," he said. "I was throwing straight scissors, they're the sleeper, and one sober guy finally caught on."

Bryant, on the other hand, had a different strategy.

"I try to think between three and four times past what the opponent is thinking," he said. "I like to call it ultimate reverse psychology, the reverse of the reverse, of the reverse."

This was a popular tactic. Alison Rose (senior-psychology) said she went to the Lion's Den, 118 S. Garner St., a couple weeks ago and beat five people immediately.

"It's a game of psychology," she said. "I got it and I'm taking it to Vegas."

Rose said sizing up your competitor is a big part of winning.

"Big guys love to throw rock and the little girls, it's all paper," she said.

Rose's friend, and potential Las Vegas guest, was also in the brackets, taking it easy on the free beer that Bud Light girls were handing out.

"If you're too drunk, you throw scissors all the time," Taryn Aloi (senior-elementary education) said.

Still, there were many at the bar last night who would argue this point until they were red in the face. "Being really drunk, that was my secret last time," said Pat Parson (senior-history and political science).

Parson also said that intimidation was an extremely important factor in games like rock, paper, scissors. "Sometimes I think people lost on purpose because they were afraid," he said.

However, many others admitted there was no paved road to Vegas.

"There's no strategy," said Logan Kincheloe (senior-English and political science). "If I get competitive, I'll just get mad when I lose, and it's all about having a good time."