Random Picker

Paste names, teams or options one per line, choose how many winners to draw, then click Pick winner. Use Shuffle list to put the whole list in a random order instead.

Result

Click "Pick winner" to draw from the list, or "Shuffle list" to reorder it.

About this random picker

The random picker draws one or more entries from a list you paste, or shuffles the whole list into a random order. It replaces a hat full of paper slips or a spinning wheel for giveaways, raffles, team selection and classroom activities, and it runs entirely in your browser, so the list you paste never leaves your device.

How the draw works

Each entry has the same chance of being chosen: 1 ÷ number of items. To pick several winners the tool draws without replacement using a partial Fisher–Yates shuffle: it swaps a random entry into the first position, then a random one of the remaining entries into the second position, and so on. This is the standard unbiased method; every possible set of winners is equally likely, and an entry can be drawn at most once per draw.

Example: the default list has 8 names. Picking one winner gives each name a chance of 1 ÷ 8 = 12.5%. Picking 3 winners means each name has 3 ÷ 8 = 37.5% chance of being among them, and there are 8 × 7 × 6 ÷ 6 = 56 possible sets of three, each with probability 1/56 ≈ 1.8%. Shuffling the whole list produces one of 8! = 40,320 possible orders, all equally likely.

How to use this picker

Paste or type your entries into the box, one per line (comma- or semicolon-separated lists also work). The count under the box shows how many items were recognised.
Leave "Remove duplicates" on to give each name one entry, or turn it off so that repeated names count as extra chances.
Set the number of winners, from 1 up to the size of the list.
Click Pick winner. A single winner is shown large; several winners are listed in the order they were drawn, which is handy for first, second and third prizes.
Click Shuffle list instead to randomise the whole list, for example to set a presentation order. Use Copy to paste the result elsewhere.

Common uses

Giveaways and raffles: paste the entrants, draw the winners, and screenshot the result.
Team draws: shuffle the players and split the shuffled list in half, or pick captains first and let them choose.
Classroom: choose who answers next, assign presentation slots, or form random groups without anyone feeling singled out.
Decision making: cannot agree on a restaurant or a film? Paste the options and let the picker decide.
Sampling: pick a few customers, survey respondents or test cases at random from a larger list.

Tips and limitations

Check the item count. A name that contains a comma, such as "Smith, Jane", is split into two entries; put one entry per line instead.
Duplicates change the odds. With deduplication off, every copy of a name is a separate ticket.
No memory between draws. Clicking again produces a completely new draw, so copy any result you need to keep.
Numbers instead of names? The random number generator draws unique numbers from a range, and the dice roller covers dice and coin flips.

Frequently asked questions

Is the draw fair?

Yes. Every entry has exactly the same chance of being picked, 1 divided by the number of items. The picker uses the browser's cryptographically secure random source and a Fisher–Yates shuffle, the standard unbiased way to draw without replacement, so no position in the list is favoured.

Can the same person win twice?

Not in a single draw: winners are drawn without replacement, so each entry can appear at most once. If the same name is pasted twice and "Remove duplicates" is off, each copy counts as a separate entry, which gives that person two chances. Leave the option on for a one-entry-per-person draw.

How do I give some entries a better chance?

Turn off "Remove duplicates" and paste a name once per entry it should have. Someone listed three times in a list of ten has a 3 in 10 chance of winning a single draw instead of 1 in 10.

Can I prove the draw was random?

There is no server log, so the best evidence is to run the draw in front of witnesses or record your screen. For high-stakes giveaways, state the rules in advance, show the full list before drawing and take a screenshot of the result.

What formats can I paste?

One item per line is clearest, but the picker also splits on commas and semicolons, so "Anna, Ben; Chloe" works too. Extra spaces and blank lines are ignored, and the item count under the box confirms what was understood.