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How to fix a
coin toss or the roll of the dice
No switches or false moves are used. The toss
is fair in every respect—except that you
know the outcome before the toss. Place the coin
in the middle of your palm. The side you desire
to force is down. Toss the coin in the air, jerking
your hand back at the instant the coin leaves
the hand. Catch the coin in the palm. It should
show the same side up as before the toss. Slapping
the coin onto the opposite forearm reverses it,
yielding the desired outcome. It takes a little
practice to learn just when to pull your hand
back. Try it with a silver dollar or half dollar.
It isn’t hard to achieve an accuracy of 90%
with a 50-cent piece.
Given the corruptibility of the wholesome coin
toss, it should come as no surprise that a throw
of dice can be tricked. Make a loose fist with
the throwing hand. Place the (legitimate) dice
in the hollow formed by the middle and ring fingers
and the palm. The index finger on one side and
the little finger on the other close the hollow.
The dice can be rattled without changing their
orientation. This “lock grip” makes
it relatively easy to throw the dice with some
control. It’s not perfect, but it’s
good enough to slant the game in the cheater’s
favor.
From: Bigger Secrets by William Poundstone
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