Rock iphepha isiyence (kwaziwa futhi nangamanye orderings izinto ezintathu, nge "idwala" ngezinye izikhathi ngokuthi "itshe" noma njengoba Rochambeau, roshambo, noma ro-mbumbulu-bo) kuwuumdlalo uvame ukudlalwa phakathi kwabantu ababili, lapho umdlali ngamunye ngasikhathi sinye akha umumo owodwa kwezintathu ngesandla eseluliwe.Lezi zimo "yidwala" (isibhakela esivaliwe), "iphepha" (isandla esiyisicaba), kanye "nezikele" (isibhakela esinomunwe wokukhomba nomunwe ophakathi, okwakha i-V)."Isikele" siyefana nophawu oluneminwe emibili u-V (futhi lukhombisa "ukunqoba" noma "ukuthula") ngaphandle kokuthi kukhonjwe ngokuvundlile esikhundleni sokubanjwa ume mpo emoyeni. Umdlalo ngasikhathi sinye, zero-sum, unemiphumela emibili kuphela engenzeka: ukudonsa, noma ukuwina komdlali oyedwa nokulahlekelwa komunye.Umdlali othatha isinqumo sokudlala i-rock uzoshaya omunye umdlali okhethe isikele ("isikelo samatshe" noma kwesinye isikhathi "ashunqise isikele" ), kepha uzolahlekelwa yilowo oseke wadlala iphepha ("paper covers rock"); umdlalo wephepha uzolahlekelwa umdlalo wesikele ("isikele usika iphepha").Uma bobabili abadlali bekhetha ukwakheka okufanayo, umdlalo uboshiwe futhi uvame ukuphindwa ngokushesha ukuze wephule uthayi.