Do the weights need to add up to 100?

No — only the ratio between weights matters. Weights of 3, 2 and 1 give exactly the same odds as 30, 20 and 10, or 300, 200 and 100, because each option's share of the total stays the same.

Weighted Random Picker

Give some options a higher chance of being picked than others by assigning each one a weight. An item with weight 3 is three times as likely to be picked as one with weight 1.

Items and weights

One per line. Add ": weight" to bias an item, e.g. "Pizza: 3" — items without a weight count as 1.

Your result will appear here.

What this generator does

Picks from a list where you set how likely each option is, instead of every option having an equal chance. There is no wheel and no animation: it is the tool for when the odds matter and the ceremony does not, and for a list long enough that a wheel would be unreadable.

How to use this tool

Enter one item per line, optionally adding ": weight" after it (e.g. "Pizza: 3").
Items without a weight count as 1.
Press pick to get a weighted random result.

Understanding the controls

Items and weights: Each option carries a weight. An option with weight 3 is three times as likely as one with weight 1 — weights are relative, so they do not need to add up to any particular total.

Worked examples

A raffle with bulk-ticket buyers: One entrant with 5 tickets against three others with 1 each (weights 5, 1, 1, 1, total 8) gives the bulk buyer a 62.5% chance rather than an equal 25% each.

Common use cases

Running a raffle where some tickets carry more entries
Simulating loaded odds for a game
Making some options more likely without excluding others

How this generator works

Each option's chance is its own weight divided by the sum of every weight on the list, then a single draw from your browser's cryptographic random generator lands in proportion to those shares. Three items weighted 3, 2 and 1 (a total of 6) get chances of 50%, 33.3% and 16.7% respectively — the weights only need to be consistent with each other, not add up to 100 or any other particular total.

Limitations and good to know

Weighting changes the odds, not the outcome. A low-weighted option can still win, and will, given enough draws.
Weights must be positive numbers. An option weighted zero is effectively excluded, since it can never be the one drawn.

Privacy and your data

Options and their weights are handled entirely in your browser. Neither the list nor the weighting is uploaded, stored or included in analytics.

Frequently asked questions

Do the weights need to add up to 100?: No — only the ratio between weights matters. Weights of 3, 2 and 1 give exactly the same odds as 30, 20 and 10, or 300, 200 and 100, because each option's share of the total stays the same.