Coin flipping

Coin flipping, coin tossing, or heads or tails is the practice of throwing a coin in the air to choose between two alternatives, sometimes to resolve a dispute between two parties. It is a form of sortition which inherently has only two possible and equally likely outcomes.

History

The historical origin of coin flipping is the interpretation of a chance outcome as the expression of divine will.

Coin flipping as a game was known to the Romans as navia aut caput ("ship or head"), as some coins had a ship on one side and the head of the emperor on the other. In England, this game was referred to as cross and pile. The expression Heads or Tails results from heads and tails being considered opposite body parts.

Process

During a coin toss, the coin is thrown into the air such that it rotates edge-over-edge several times. Either beforehand or when the coin is in the air, an interested party calls "heads" or "tails", indicating which side of the coin that party is choosing. The other party is assigned the opposite side. Depending on custom, the coin may be caught, caught and inverted, or allowed to land on the ground. When the coin comes to rest, the toss is complete and the party who called or was assigned the face-up side is declared the winner.

Heads or Tails (disambiguation)

Heads or Tails refers to practice of Coin flipping

It may also refer to:

See also

Heads or Tails (1997 film)

Heads or Tails (French: J'en suis!) is a 1997 Quebec comedy film directed by Claude Fournier and starring Roy Dupuis and Patrick Huard

Synopsis

In order to make money fast to put his company back on track, Dominique (Roy Dupuis) encouraged by his business partner Pierre Sanchez (Patrick Huard) finds a job as an antique dealer for Victor (Normand Lévesque). But soon he realizes that the only way he will keep his job is by pretending he is gay, slowly breaking his marriage with his wife Maude (Charlotte Laurier) and stirring weird emotions from his mother Elisabeth (France Castel).

Cast