Binary lot

A binary lot is an object that, when cast, comes to rest with 1 of 2 distinct faces uppermost.^[1] These can range from precisely-machined objects like modern coins which produce balanced results (each side coming up half the time over many casts), to naturally-occurring objects like cowrie shells which may produce a range of unbalanced results depending upon the species, individual, and even circumstances of the cast.

Binary lots may be used for divination, impartial decision-making, gambling, and game playing, the boundaries of which (as David Parlett suggests) can be quite blurred.^[1] They may be cast singly, yielding a single binary outcome (yes/no, win/lose, etc.), but often they are cast multiply, several in a single cast, yielding a range of possible outcomes.