Big Bucks in Little Kid's Game

SYRACUSE, N.Y., April 21, 2009 -- Rock, paper, scissors, shoot! It's a game most people have been playing since they were children. But for Syracuse University sophomore Jon "Naco" Monaco, it's actually a sport.

"I threw paper and he threw a rock and I ended up winning the $20,000," Monaco said of his scholarship earnings. "There was no way to describe it, winning $20,000 playing rock, paper, scissors. Like, that's a joke to people. But when people see it actually did happen, it's amazing."

Monaco, better known as "Naco," won the first-ever USA Rock Paper Scissors College ChAMPionships last month. The USA Rock Paper Scissors League has been around since 2006, holding tournaments nationwide. This year, it partnered with AMP Energy and mtvU to fund education through scholarships.

From Campus to Championship

It all started back on campus, when Monaco noticed a poster hanging around school. It advertised a rock paper scissor competition at a local restaurant. He said he checked it out, hoping to win the $100 second-place prize money.

The rules of the game are simple: Paper beats rock, but loses to scissors. Rock beats scissors, loses to paper. Scissors win against paper, lose to rock.

Monaco won first place, and what happened next, he could have never imagined.

"The next day I was contacted by a guy name Jon," he said. "He was with AMP Energy and next thing I know he's buying me a plane ticket and hooking me up with a hotel in Panama City for our spring break."

The tournament took place over a two-week span from March 8 through 21, coinciding with college spring breaks. In order to win it all, Monaco had to beat the first round of 32 students. The matches were best two out of three, twice. And he did.

"I was telling everyone before that I'm throwing paper for the win every time because I won with paper in Syracuse," he said. "And I ended up winning the final throw on paper beating him, to come back for the second week."

One Round Down, Another to Go

Monaco flew back to school. He asked his professors if he could miss some of his mechanical engineering classes, all to play what many consider a child's game. But with a $20,000 scholarship on the line, none of his instructors said no. So he flew back down to Panama City Beach.

Naco's Game Strategy

"It came down to me and this kid Stone Thrower, I think his nickname was," said Monaco, referring to University of Oklahoma's John "Stone Thrower" Stone. "And I go up against him and I was real nervous." After several tied games, Monaco clinched the win with his old standby, paper.

Before the competition, Monaco said he never considered these matches anything other than child's play. Now, he said he thinks it's a sport, because strategy and competition are both involved.

"It's sort of like chess. You have to read the other person's mood and body style and stuff like that," he said. "It's somewhat luck but it's also somewhat skill."

The League agrees.

Bodies and Brains

"There's opportunity for people who are well trained to succeed or be more successful," said Dan Messinger, executive for League Affairs, USARPS League. "So this is just as much a sport in that you are taking your body, and your brain and putting it up against somebody else's body and brain in an effort to come out victorious."

Messinger officiated in the final match, and stood right next to Monaco when he scored his big win.

"He's a great player," Messinger said. "He takes the game seriously. He's had some growth in understanding the sport. He's really worked on his strategy."

Messinger said the league planned to expand to allow high school and even middle school students involved.

As for Monaco, he's the reigning champion. But he said he realizes it might not last forever. He's going to have to earn it.

"I'm definitely going to come back next year," he said.