to play heads or tails

The Spanish phrase 'jugarse algo a cara o cruz' is an idiomatic expression which translates to 'to play heads or tails' in English. This means to decide something by flipping a coin and depending on whether it lands on its 'head' (the side of the coin with the face) or 'tail' (the opposite side). This phrase is generally used in situations where a decision has to be made, but either outcomes are equally likely or desirable, hence relying on chance or luck to make the decision.

Example sentences using: jugarse algo a cara o cruz

Decidí jugarme algo a cara o cruz para ver si compraba la chaqueta roja o la azul.

I decided to flip a coin to see if I would buy the red jacket or the blue one.

In this example, the speaker is using the expression to make a decision between two options by relying on the result of a coin flip.

Para la cena, me jugué algo a cara o cruz para saber si haríamos pizza o pasta.

For dinner, I flipped a coin to see if we would have pizza or pasta.

Here, the phrase illustrates a casual decision-making process where the speaker uses a coin flip to choose between two meal options.

Al final del juego, el ganador se jugó algo a cara o cruz para repartir el premio.

At the end of the game, the winner flipped a coin to distribute the prize.

In this case, the expression describes a situation where the winner uses a coin flip to decide how to share the prize, indicating a game of chance.