Denver’s rock-paper-scissors is a big hit in bars

Rock-paper-scissors has settled playground disputes, broken ties and helped generations of indecisive people choose who has to go first.

At Lincoln’s in lower downtown Denver, it has become a weekly competition with a buy-in, a bracket, a referee and a room full of adults screaming over scissors. Every Thursday night, the cash-only speakeasy hosts a $5, winner-takes-all rock-paper-scissors tournament at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. with room for up to 24 competitors.

The bar, which opened in Denver in August 2024, is the third Lincoln’s location, following outposts in Portland, Oregon, and Burlington, Vermont. Its concept is simple: Every product costs $5. The tournament came from Lincoln’s Portland location, but in Denver it has become one of the bar’s signature weekly events.

“It is just nice to have excitement surrounding an event where everyone is on an equal playing field but fully engaged,” said co-owner Mark Ohlson. “It’s made many a friend and many a Thursday.”

The rules at Lincoln’s are designed to stretch out a game that usually ends in seconds. Competitors must win two points in a row. If a player loses a round, their opponent can take away one of their points. That means a match can swing back and forth, turning a simple hand game into something that feels, at least in the moment, oddly high stakes.

A player can be one throw away from victory, only to watch a championship run collapse under a well-timed rock. Denver resident Mack Dugan knows the feeling. He had competed and lost twice at Lincoln’s before returning for a third try on Thursday, June 4.

“It’s a stupid way to lose $5,” Dugan said. “But the competitions are always really fun, and I have met some funny people through losing to them.”

On his third attempt, Dugan made a deeper run. He worked his way through the bracket and finished in fourth place before his scissors — and his championship hopes — were crushed by an opponent’s rock. Still, Dugan said he plans to return for more rock-paper-scissors action.

“Speakeasies are usually very cliquey and quiet places, but the rock-paper-scissors competitions allow for the whole bar to get rowdy collectively all around one event,” Dugan said.

That was exactly what Lincoln’s owners hoped the tournament would do. Building a community around a collective event can be difficult, but rock-paper-scissors is a game most people know, has simple rules and no one needs to be soberly strategic, though some competitors might insist there is a method.

Dugan has brought in new friends to compete, has participated in several tournaments and has been a Lincoln’s fan since his first competition. He hopes that more people can learn about the bar to attract larger crowds and give the tournament the mainstream attention it deserves.

“Some nights there is a ton of people,” Dugan said. “Some nights there is not enough to play, so I just want people to know this is an option on Thursday and a fun one at that.”

The staff is already thinking bigger. Mike, a Lincoln’s staff member who referees the rock-paper-scissors tournaments, said he wants to bring back past winners for a larger competition this summer.

“In July, I want to hold a Tournament of Champions where we take all the winners of our previous tournaments and bring them back in to play against one another,” Mike said.

This competition pits Lincoln’s best players together throughout the summer to determine the ultimate rock-paper-scissors champion in Denver. Leading up to July, winning during a Thursday competition will qualify you to participate in this “Tournament of Champions.”

Lincoln’s is not the only Colorado organization using rock-paper-scissors as a way to bring people together. Playworks Colorado, a nonprofit that promotes children’s health and wellness through play, has held rock-paper-scissors tournaments as fundraisers. Its 2025 tournament was held Sept. 30 at Hogshead Pub & Brewery in Denver. Its 2026 edition is expected to be held around the same time but hasn’t been confirmed yet.

This organization is nationwide and holds these rock-paper-scissors competitions yearly in many different states. According to its website, Playworks teaches this game to children and hosts tournaments to spread the game and demonstrate that it can be more than a trivial activity, but rather “a fair method to make unbiased decisions or settle a dispute and a way to build students’ conflict resolution skills and build a strong community.”

Outside Colorado, rock-paper-scissors has become even more elaborate. The New Jersey Lottery hosted its second annual Rock-Paper-Scissors Throwdown in April at American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with 384 competitors, a $25,000 prize pool and a $10,000 grand prize.

Lincoln’s version is smaller, cheaper and less official. But that may be part of the charm. The stakes are low enough that anyone can play and high enough that people still groan when paper covers rock.

“To summarize, it’s an easy-to-understand and participate-in activity that adds value to an already enjoyable evening for most folks just being in our bar,” Lincoln’s co-owner Blain Tully said. “We do our best to make it a whole lot of fun, plus you get the potential to win a couple extra bucks on the night if you win.”

After Dugan’s third loss he still plans to return to Lincoln’s with the goal of crushing the competition.

“It is such a mindless game,” Dugan said, “but you can come in every week with a new strategy and still have fun.”