What this tool does
The Weighted Random Picker draws from your list in proportion to weights you assign. An item weighted 3 is exactly three times as likely as an item weighted 1 - useful when options aren't all equal but you still want chance to decide.
How the randomness works
Weights are relative, not percentages: the chance of each item is its weight divided by the total of all weights. The draw uses a cryptographically random seed and is recorded in a fairness receipt, so the exact selection can be replayed and checked.
When picking multiple items without duplicates, each pick removes the chosen item and re-normalizes the remaining weights - the standard method for weighted sampling without replacement.
Read more about fairness and receipts on RandomEveryth.ing.
When to use it
- Raffles where some participants earned extra entries
- Meal picking where favorites should win more often
- Playtesting loot tables or reward odds
- Any fair-but-not-equal choice
Frequently asked questions
- Do weights have to add up to 100?
- No. Weights are relative. 3/2/1 gives the same odds as 30/20/10 or 0.3/0.2/0.1.
- Can I use decimal weights?
- Yes - any positive number works, like “Salad * 0.5”.
- How do I verify a weighted draw was fair?
- Every draw produces a receipt containing the random seed. The verify page replays the same draw from that seed and confirms the result matches.