15 October 2007, Toronto, Canada: Despite being crowned the Rock Paper Scissors world champion, Andrea Farina isn't bragging yet.

"I called my parents and some friends, but I'm not going around telling everybody," Farina said yesterday, still bewildered by her triumph at the sixth annual RPS World Championships the night before.

"I mean, I'm proud, but ... I don't know."

Farina, 22, became the first woman to win the tourney, which drew about 500 rabid competitors and another 500 spectators to the Steam Whistle Brewery on Saturday.

"How many people out there can say they're the world champion of something," Farina said, with a laugh.

Farina, who lives in Syracuse, N.Y., crushed fellow American David Arnold's aspirations with a paper to beat his rock, sealing the deal by winning the best two out of three sets in the final round. She gets her name on the trophy and, best of all, pockets $7,000 cash. "It was overwhelming," she said.

James Doolittle of Toronto did the hometown crowd proud and finished third, earning $500 for his efforts. Arnold of Washington, D.C., takes home $1,500.

Farina, a communications design student at Syracuse University, said most of the money will go towards student loans and paying rent.

In fact, she's so broke that after she was crowned the champ, she and friend Michael, 22, couldn't afford a taxi back to where they were staying. This, despite having to carry around a massive foam-core $7,000 novelty cheque.

Farina said she didn't really go in with a strategy, but that she did try to read her opponents' RPS techniques.

"It's fun trying to get into peoples' heads and it's nice to be around so many other people who are having fun."

For those unfamiliar, the rules of Rock Paper Scissors are simple. Players try to outsmart each other by choosing from three hand signals. Rock (closed fist) smashes scissors, while scissors (index and middle finger extended) cuts paper, and paper (hand extended flat) covers rock.