Random Picker, Dice & Draws
Draw lots, split teams, shuffle seats, run a Secret Santa, pick numbers, roll dice or flip a coin — all with cryptographic randomness.
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Random Picker, Dice & Draws: complete guide
Walk through the steps and examples, or jump straight to the topic you need.
At a glance
- How many names
- Up to 500. Both line breaks and commas are read as separators.
- What it does
- With names: set an order, draw winners, split into teams, shuffle seats, and Secret Santa. Without names: draw numbers, roll dice, flip a coin, and play rock-paper-scissors.
- Shuffle method
- Fisher-Yates. Every order is equally likely.
- Random numbers
- Uses the browser's cryptographic generator; if unavailable, the screen says ordinary random numbers were used.
- Duplicate names
- Not removed; a number is added after them to tell them apart.
- Team sizes
- Teams are filled from the first one so sizes differ by at most 1 person.
- History
- The last five results stay on screen only and are not saved.
- Where it runs
- Drawing happens only inside this browser and nothing is sent to a server.
How to use Random Picker, Dice & Draws
Paste the names
Write one name per line or join them with commas. You can paste a list straight from a spreadsheet or a notepad. Blank lines and lines with only spaces are not counted as people. If there are duplicate names, the screen tells you.
Choose what to decide
Setting an order decides everyone's turn. Drawing winners picks only the number you set and shows the rest separately. Splitting into teams divides people evenly into the number of teams you choose. Seat shuffling seats people from the front row according to the seats per row, and Secret Santa pairs people so nobody draws themselves, then each person checks only their own result. If the number to draw or the number of teams is larger than the number of people, it is blocked before drawing and the reason is shown.
Draw and check the result
Every press shuffles anew on the spot. If you do not like the result, you can press draw again. Below the result it states which kind of random numbers were used, so check it for important draws.
Save the result
Press the copy button to copy text containing the numbers, names, and the time of the draw. For teams, the headcount of each team is included. The past draws panel keeps the last five so you can compare with earlier results after drawing again.
What it’s good for
No pre-set order
The shuffle happens at the moment you press the button. Nothing is calculated ahead of time while the page is open, and no name is ever placed first on purpose. It uses the Fisher-Yates shuffle, which gives every possible order the same probability, unlike the common trick of sorting a list at random. Random numbers come from the browser's cryptographic generator; if your browser does not support it, the screen says that ordinary random numbers were used.
Duplicate names are kept
A class can have two people with the same name. Merging duplicates into one would take away a person's chance of being picked. This tool keeps duplicate names and adds a number after them so you can tell who is who in the result. If duplicates are found, the screen tells you.
Worked examples
Set a presentation order
Minsu Kim
Jiyoung Lee
Hyunwoo ParkOrder (3 people)
1. Jiyoung Lee
2. Minsu Kim
3. Hyunwoo Park5 people into 2 teams
5 people · Split into teams · 2 teamsTeam 1 (3 people)
Team 2 (2 people)Differences by mode
Swipe the table sideways to see the rest.
| Mode | Result | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Set an order | Everyone gets a number | Presentation, cleaning, or game turns |
| Draw winners | Split into those picked and the rest | Prizes, awards, choosing a representative |
| Split into teams | A roster for each team | Group assignments, pairing up |
| Shuffle seats | A seating chart from the front row | Classroom or office seating |
| Secret Santa | Each person sees only their own match | Secret Santa, gift exchange |
| Numbers, dice, rock-paper-scissors | A number, dice faces, or a hand shape | Number draws, board games, bets |
| Coin toss | Heads or tails, plus the ratio and longest streak over many tosses | Choosing between two options, probability experiments |
When the result isn’t what you expected
I cannot press the draw button
This happens when there are no names or the settings do not fit. The reason is shown above the button. You cannot draw if the number to draw is larger than the number of names, or if there are more teams than people.
I worry duplicate names get merged
They are not merged. Since they could be different people with the same name, they are kept and a number is added after the second one. The numbers also appear in the result so you can tell who is who.
My history disappeared after refreshing
That is because history is not saved. For results you need to keep, use the copy button right after drawing.
A long name pushes the layout around
Names longer than 40 characters are cut off when entered. If you wrote a long description along with the name, keep just the name and enter it again.
Key terms
- Fisher-Yates
- A shuffling method that swaps items into place one by one from the end. Every order is equally likely.
- Cryptographic random numbers
- Random numbers made to be hard to predict. The browser provides them, and they are used when fairness matters, such as in a draw.
- Same-name people
- Different people who share the same name. Merging them would take away one person's chance of being picked.
Random Picker, Dice & Draws FAQ
Can someone draw themselves in Secret Santa?
No. Only pairings where everyone is assigned a different person and nobody draws themselves are chosen, and every valid pairing is equally likely. Each person taps their own name to see their result privately, and the full result is only revealed when the host opens it separately.
How are seats arranged when shuffling seating?
You set how many seats go in one row. The newly shuffled order fills the front row from the left, and any leftover spots in the last row stay empty. The top of the result is the blackboard or podium side.
Can I draw random numbers without repeats?
Turn on the option to avoid drawing the same number again and numbers are drawn without repeats within the range. Both the first and last numbers are included, and you can draw up to 1,000 at once. Dice roll 1 to 6 at a time and show the total.
What happens if the teams do not divide evenly?
So the leftover people do not pile into one team, each of the first teams takes one extra person in turn. Which teams come first is reshuffled each time, so no particular team is always bigger.
Are the results saved?
No. The last five results are kept on screen only and disappear when you refresh. If you need to keep a result, press the copy button and paste it somewhere.
Is the coin toss really 50/50?
Yes. One bit of cryptographic randomness decides heads or tails, so it is exactly 50%. Real coins land on the side that faced up before the toss about 50.8% of the time, according to a 350,000-toss experiment (Bartoš et al., 2023), so they are actually slightly biased. Try the multi-toss options (x10, x100, x1000) to check the ratio and the longest streak yourself.
Can I use it for a prize draw?
In a browser that uses cryptographic random numbers, results are hard to predict in advance. However, this tool cannot prove the drawing process or keep an official record of it. For a draw that needs proof, draw while everyone watches the screen and share the result right away.
How is it different from a ladder game?
The outcome is similar in nature, but this tool does not draw the process. If you want the fun of drawing a ladder, another method is better; if you have many people and need a quick decision, this tool is more convenient.
Can I remove the people already picked and draw again?
After drawing winners, copy the remaining list and paste it in again. Use this method when you draw several prize ranks one after another.
Can I rename the teams?
For now they are called Team 1, Team 2, and so on. Edit the names in the copied result.