Sun-Times looks at IL Lottery's "Rock, Paper, Scissors" event w/Drew Walker

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: Rock, paper, scissors tourney a hit in Tinley Park : February 7, 2009 | Chicago Sun-Times : BY WILLIAM LEE, staff writer : --------------------------------------------- : : The Illinois Lottery's traveling "rock, paper, scissors" tournament stopped at a Tinley Park sports bar Thursday night and had much of the drama of a bare-knuckle boxing match - plus beer and hot wings. : The offbeat tournament drew 136 potential entrants at the Buffalo Wild Wings, 7301 W. 183rd St., competing for a $500 prize. It was part of a promotion for the lottery's Rock Paper Scissors instant game that began last month. : The restaurant's bar area was converted into a 5-by-5-foot ring for the one-on-one showdowns in the ages-old game, famous for settling trivial disputes. All the names were placed in a box, and 32 players were randomly chosen. : The rules remained the same: scissors cuts paper, rock smashes scissors, and paper covers rock. Players had to clearly display their choice each time and were eliminated if they changed their selection at the last minute. : At the end, Nathan Flaws, of New Lenox, got a nice birthday present, winning when his "rock" beat his opponent on their second move on his 27th birthday. He got a big mock check for $500 from Drew Walker, the event's emcee and a radio personality from country music station US 99. : Flaws, a pipefitter, said he went to the restaurant with some friends after hearing about the tournament on the radio. : "It seemed it would be a fun thing to do," he said. "I was just hoping to get picked, and then I kept winning and couldn't believe it was happening." : The event had a competitive, raucous atmosphere, with the audience, many fueled by beer, loudly participating. The tournaments, which are being held throughout the state, have brought out hundreds of spectators at each stop, said Paul Arnell, the lottery's promotions director. : While most of the crowd in Tinley Park came out just to enjoy a few beers or wings and watch the competition, some could not resist the lure of $500. : "It would be my first time (playing), but who wouldn't want to play rock, paper, scissors?" said Alana Dyer, of Oak Forest. : "I come for the chicken wings and the beer," said Mike Spano, of Oak Forest, adding that he decided to try to get into the tournament even though his chances of winning were a "million to one" (actually not nearly that bad). : Neither Dyer nor Spano were picked to compete.

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