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Coin Flip

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Heads
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Tails
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Flip a virtual coin for a fair fifty-fifty decision, with a running tally of results. Straightforward, and free of the suspicion that the person flipping palmed it.

The interesting thing about coin flips is what they reveal when you use one. People often discover which outcome they were hoping for in the moment the coin is in the air, which makes flipping useful even when you ignore the result.

How to use it

  1. Flip the coin.
  2. Read the result and the running tally of heads and tails.
  3. Flip again as often as you need.

What to expect from the results

  • Runs of the same result are normal. Five heads in a row happens roughly once in every thirty-two sequences of five flips.
  • The proportion tends toward half over many flips, but the absolute difference between heads and tails typically grows rather than shrinks.
  • A previous result never affects the next one. The coin has no memory, and believing otherwise is the gambler's fallacy.
  • Physical coins are very slightly biased toward the face they started on, an effect measured by researchers but far too small to notice in casual use.

Frequently asked questions

Is a coin flip genuinely fifty-fifty?
This one is. Physical coins carry a very small bias toward the face they started on, measured at around fifty-one per cent in careful studies, which is far too small to matter in practice.
I got six heads in a row. Is it broken?
No. A run of six occurs roughly once in every sixty-four sequences of six flips, so it is unusual but entirely expected over repeated use.
Does a previous flip affect the next one?
No. Each flip is independent, and expecting tails because heads keeps appearing is the gambler's fallacy.