An honest coin
Each flip draws from crypto.getRandomValues() — the browser's cryptographic randomness — so heads and tails are exactly 50/50, which is more than can be said for physical coins: studies of real coin tosses found the side facing up at launch wins about 51% of the time. The animation plays after the outcome is drawn, purely for suspense.
Streaks are normal
Flip twenty times and there's roughly a 75% chance you'll see a run of four-in-a-row somewhere. Runs feel rigged precisely because true randomness clumps more than intuition expects — the counter above lets you watch it happen. Coin flips have settled everything from sports kickoffs to the naming of Portland, Oregon (heads; tails and it would be Boston).
Frequently asked questions
Is this coin flip really fair?
Yes — each result comes from the browser's cryptographic random generator, giving exactly 50% heads, 50% tails. The animation is decoration; the outcome is drawn before it starts.
Why did I get five heads in a row?
Because that's what real randomness looks like. A run of five has about a 3% chance in any five flips — rare per attempt, but near-certain to appear across a long session. Each new flip is still 50/50.
Can I flip multiple coins at once?
Flip repeatedly and use the session counters — or for many simultaneous random outcomes, our dice roller with a 2-sided… actually, use the random number generator pattern: dice set to 2 sides does exactly this.
What was the most famous coin flip?
Contenders: Portland, Oregon's 1845 naming flip, and the 1959 'day the music died' toss that decided a plane seat. Coin flips also formally decide tied elections in several US states.