How to fix a coin toss

relayer · February 8, 2006 9:14PM

Place the coin in the middle of your palm with the side you want to force facing down.

Toss the coin in the air, jerking your hand back at the instant the coin leaves your hand.

Catch the coin in your palm. It should show the same side up as before the toss.

Slapping the coin into the opposite forearm reverses it, yielding the desired outcome.

It takes a little practice to learn just when to pull your hand back.

It works best with a silver dollar or 50-cent piece. A quarter is OK. It isn’t hard to achieve an accuracy of 90% with a 50-cent piece.

Can you do it?

pontiacinf · February 8, 2006 9:29PM

well i tryed it, and I guess my tossing needs a little help

or was this "let me see how many times I can get these suckers to try this"?

relayer · February 9, 2006 3:50AM

<< well i tryed it, and I guess my tossing needs a little help

or was this "let me see how many times I can get these suckers to try this"?

>>

No sir, it's an old carnie trick designed to seperate a rube from his money.

cladking · February 9, 2006 3:54AM

With practice you can get it right a high percentage of the time just by
catching it at the proper height. It looks less rigged if it's actually spin-
ing, too.

topstuf · February 9, 2006 3:57AM

Anyone here familiar with an old legend, "Jeff da flipper?" Used to be a topic on CoinNet some years back. I never saw him but many supposedly "sadder but wiser" guys sure did. He was said to be an true artiste at flipping coins. (in the air)

Russ · February 9, 2006 4:01AM

According to Chaos Theory, it isn't possible to fix a coin toss.

Russ, NCNE

flaminio · February 9, 2006 4:03AM

<< According to Chaos Theory, it isn't possible to fix a coin toss. >>

The way that relayer describes seems particularly difficult. I'd just palm a second coin in the appropriate orientation, and then switch them when doing the flipover onto the forearm.

solid · February 9, 2006 5:04AM

You've just got to be quick!

relayer · February 9, 2006 5:04AM

<< According to Chaos Theory, it isn't possible to fix a coin toss.

Russ, NCNE >>

Ummm... OK.

But acutally, objects are manipulated constantly, all around you, all the time.

anablep · February 9, 2006 5:25AM

<< But acutally, objects are manipulated constantly, all around you, all the time. >>

Yoda calls that "The Force."

66Tbird · February 9, 2006 5:28AM

My Dad taught me that trick at a young age. I became very good at it.

The jist,,,
The coin never flips, it wobbles(sp?) and only looks like it flips. The key to spot the fraud is to watch the coin in air and if it has a short and fat outline, kiss your bet goodbye.

Edit: I reread the procedure in post one and there is a better way that looks more real. set the coin on your thumb like a real flip but off center and move it forward so your thumb nail is at the 6-9 position on the coin. Then lift and flick your thumb more sideways than up.( the pullback helps). Practice helps also.

Google that trick, been around a loooonnnnggg time

pontiacinf · February 9, 2006 6:53AM

<< 

<< According to Chaos Theory, it isn't possible to fix a coin toss.

Russ, NCNE >>

Ummm... OK.

But acutally, objects are manipulated constantly, all around you, all the time. >>

^now relayer that statement is OH SO true indeed

MikeInFL · February 9, 2006 6:57AM

Chaos theory has nothing to do with fixing a coin flip.

BlindedByEgo · February 9, 2006 7:26AM

Sounds more like a great way to get a bunch of people here wasting their time today

flipping coins.

Russ · February 9, 2006 7:55AM

<< Chaos theory has nothing to do with fixing a coin flip. >>

Chaos theory encompasses essentially all actions. Flipping a coin is certainly an action.

<< Another system in which sensitive dependence on initial conditions is evident is the flip of a coin. There are two variables in a flipping coin: how soon it hits the ground, and how fast it is flipping. Theoretically, it should be possible to control these variables entirely and control how the coin will end up. In practice, it is impossible to control exactly how fast the coin flips and how high it flips. It is possible to put the variables into a certain range, but it is impossible to control it enough to know the final results of the coin toss. >>

Russ, NCNE

topstuf · February 9, 2006 7:57AM

Just make a big show out of the actual ..... FLIP
and have the coin already laying (or glued) to the other arm.
Make the flip a hundred yarder and just slap the coin already on your arm.

Then leave.

FAST.

cladking · February 9, 2006 8:06AM

<< 

<< Chaos theory has nothing to do with fixing a coin flip. >>

Chaos theory encompasses essentially all actions. Flipping a coin is certainly an action.

<< Another system in which sensitive dependence on initial conditions is evident is the flip of a coin. There are two variables in a flipping coin: how soon it hits the ground, and how fast it is flipping. Theoretically, it should be possible to control these variables entirely and control how the coin will end up. In practice, it is impossible to control exactly how fast the coin flips and how high it flips. It is possible to put the variables into a certain range, but it is impossible to control it enough to know the final results of the coin toss. >>

Russ, NCNE >>

Chaos does govern all events but in many applications there are sufficient harmonic aspects
as to negate the effects of chaotic behavior. Flipping a coin just the proper number of times
to have it land on a surface in the desired orientation may be beyond the ability of all people
but grabbing it out of the air in the proper orientation is not that difficult. The coin will behave
in a highly predictable way with a steady acceleration downward when it leaves the hand. It
will spin at a constant though decreasing speed. If spun at the same rate and thrown to the
same height it's just a matter of catching it in the same place, but it's easier to spin it slowly
enough that you can see its orientation. You can even turn it in your hand if you catch it wrong.

BlindedByEgo · February 9, 2006 8:27AM

<< 

<< 

<< Chaos theory has nothing to do with fixing a coin flip. >>

Chaos theory encompasses essentially all actions. Flipping a coin is certainly an action.

<< Another system in which sensitive dependence on initial conditions is evident is the flip of a coin. There are two variables in a flipping coin: how soon it hits the ground, and how fast it is flipping. Theoretically, it should be possible to control these variables entirely and control how the coin will end up. In practice, it is impossible to control exactly how fast the coin flips and how high it flips. It is possible to put the variables into a certain range, but it is impossible to control it enough to know the final results of the coin toss. >>

Russ, NCNE >>

Chaos does govern all events but in many applications there are sufficient harmonic aspects
as to negate the effects of chaotic behavior. Flipping a coin just the proper number of times
to have it land on a surface in the desired orientation may be beyond the ability of all people
but grabbing it out of the air in the proper orientation is not that difficult. The coin will behave
in a highly predictable way with a steady acceleration downward when it leaves the hand. It
will spin at a constant though decreasing speed. If spun at the same rate and thrown to the
same height it's just a matter of catching it in the same place, but it's easier to spin it slowly
enough that you can see its orientation. You can even turn it in your hand if you catch it wrong. >>

Dang! All about a frickin' coin flip.

carl · February 9, 2006 8:29AM

I remember that trick from when I was a kid way, way, way back. That is so commonly known that nowadays a coin flip is always to close your hand, shake the coin and flip it with out looking at how it may be placed on your fingers. If you notice many of the professional football games that use a coin flip to determine who gets what is done by letting the coin hit the ground, not cought. That was explained on one of those magic exposed shows also. I would think by now the entire world knows about that trick. A better way is to find a shop that sells magic stuff and just buy one of those two headed coins.

cladking · February 9, 2006 9:20AM

<< I remember that trick from when I was a kid way, way, way back. That is so commonly known that nowadays a coin flip is always to close your hand, shake the coin and flip it with out looking at how it may be placed on your fingers. If you notice many of the professional football games that use a coin flip to determine who gets what is done by letting the coin hit the ground, not cought. That was explained on one of those magic exposed shows also. I would think by now the entire world knows about that trick. A better way is to find a shop that sells magic stuff and just buy one of those two headed coins. >>

A two-tailed coin is much more useful since you can let the other person call it in the air.

How to fix a coin toss

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