The baby-faced assassin plans to let his fingers do the talking

DON SCOTT/The Press

PURE LUCK: Christchurch's Cameron Blair is chasing the big-time in paper, rock, scissors competition.

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For many, paper, rock, scissors may just be a way of deciding who sits in the front seat – but for Cameron Blair it is his ticket to the big time.

While the All Blacks are in Europe campaigning for their World Cup, Blair is winging his way to Toronto, Canada, today, hoping to bring home his Holy Grail – the Paper Rock Scissors World Championship.

Since romping to the national title in July, Blair has been deep in training, honing his skills for what will be the biggest moment of his young life.

Blair knows he is going to have to be at his peak – New Zealand's "laid-back" style of competition is a far cry from the northern hemisphere game where people train relentlessly with coaches, study their opponents and, it is rumoured, indulge in performance-enhancing drugs.

Blair, 19, said he knew some of his matches had been recorded and posted on the internet, where competitors were trying to discern his moves and work out any patterns he might have.

Blair's career as a finger-waggler began in a spur-of-the-moment competition at Coyotes Bar in Oxford Terrace in April.

His talent was indisputable, his technique sublime.

The regionals led to the national title in Auckland and then to his all-expenses-paid trip to Canada to take on the world's best and compete for $C7500 ($NZ9900).

The rules are simple: a match consists of three sets, best of three games per set. Rock beats scissors which beats paper which beats rock.

A referee watches closely in case of any balking – trying to turn a clenched rock into a flat paper at the last second is a common cheat's tactic.

Blair is currently working on adapting to the international game – in New Zealand it is "One, two, THREE (make your sign on three)" but in international competition it is "One, two, three, GO (on the beat after three)".

He is also trying to work on his sledging, learning to "play the man not the hand".

One advanced tactic is to tell the opposition before the bout "I'm going to go paper", putting the element of "Do they trust me?" into the equation.

Martial arts legend Bruce Lee got tired of people challenging him to fights; Blair gets tired of "idiots" challenging him at parties.

Blair said he liked scissors the best but he found "newbies" often threw rock.

"I played this bouncer at Coyotes. He threw rock and I threw paper straight away. Game over." Deadly.

Blair's nickname is "the baby-faced assassin". In the ring he is like a tiger ... with hands. And the secret of his success? "Pure luck."

- © Fairfax NZ News