How to play heads or tails
Heads or tails is the classic way to settle a two-way choice. One person calls heads or tails before the coin is flipped. If the coin lands on the side they called, they win the toss. Otherwise the other person does.
- Agree what the toss decides before anyone calls, so nobody argues afterwards.
- One player calls heads or tails out loud.
- Tap the coin or press Space. The result is shown straight away.
What do heads and tails mean?
On most coins, heads is the side showing a portrait, usually a monarch or head of state, and tails is the reverse. The words are very old: ancient Roman children played a similar game, calling out navia aut caput, which means "ship or head", because Roman coins carried a ship on one side and a head on the other.
Is calling heads better than tails?
With a fair coin, neither call has an advantage. Each is exactly 50%. Real coins flipped by hand show a very slight tendency, around 50.8% in one large 2023 study, to land on the side that started facing up. Our digital coin has no starting side, so there is nothing to exploit. Your best strategy is just to pick one.
Heads or tails for a group
For more than two people, flip several coins at once and compare results, or use our dice roller. To flip between two named options instead of heads and tails, try the decision maker.
More free tools
Frequently asked questions
Is heads or tails 50/50?
Yes. Each flip here uses your browser's secure random number generator, so heads and tails are equally likely and every flip is independent of the one before.
Can heads come up many times in a row?
Yes, and it is normal. Streaks happen in random results. Our coin flip odds calculator shows how likely a streak of any length is.
What are the odds of a coin landing on its edge?
On a real coin it is extremely rare, with one often-quoted estimate of around 1 in 6,000 for a thick coin. A digital coin always lands on heads or tails.
Can I flip more than one coin?
Yes. Choose 1 to 6 coins under the coin and each one is decided separately.