"According to Wikipedia, the game has its origins in China. It was popular among warlords (!) during the Han Dynasty. It's not exactly clear whether it was used to idly pass the time, to make cavalier decisions, or as something more akin to gambling.
Another source offers an extensive (and somewhat convoluted) history of a Japanese game called "jan ken pon." It's believed this game (basically "rock, paper, scissors") evolved from another Japanese game called "honken," which involved two players simultaneously extending zero to five fingers. With both hands hidden, each person would then guess the total number of fingers. Whoever guessed correctly won."
It isn't much but it is all I could find. I think it's interesting how things like this start out & evolve into something a lot different over the years. I wonder what things that are started today, will evolve into something different in the future & just how different.
