⚖️ Weighted Random Picker
Give each item its own weight — a higher weight means a higher chance of being picked. Weights don't need to add up to any specific number.
A weight is a share of the total, not a percentage
Every item's chance is its own weight divided by the sum of all weights, so the numbers you type only ever matter relative to each other:
P(item) = weight / (sum of all weights)The default 60 / 30 / 10 adds to 100, which makes the percentages look obvious - but 6 / 3 / 1 gives exactly the same 60%, 30% and 10%. The catch is that the denominator moves: drop the rare prize from 10 to 5 and the others rise without you touching them, to 63.2% and 31.6%, while the rare one becomes 5.3% rather than 5%. The odds table under each result is worth reading for that reason.
| What you want | Weights to type |
|---|---|
| Three equal chances | 1, 1, 1 |
| One item twice as likely as the other | 2, 1 |
| A 1-in-20 rare drop | 1 and 19 |
The two rows that quietly do nothing
- A weight of 0 is never picked and is left out of the total, so it is a way to bench an option without deleting the row.
- A row with an empty name is dropped the same way, whatever its weight - so a blank line cannot win, and cannot dilute anyone else either.
- Weights can be fractional if you type them; the picker compares real numbers, not whole tickets.
Frequently asked questions
Do the weights have to add up to 100?
No. They can be any positive numbers - 6, 3 and 1 behaves identically to 60, 30 and 10. Only the ratio between them counts.
How do I set a 1 in 20 chance?
Give the rare item a weight of 1 and everything else a combined weight of 19. The odds table after each pick confirms it reads as 5%.
Why has the rare item not come up in twenty picks?
Because a 10% chance missed twenty times running still happens 12.2% of the time. Nothing carries over between picks, so a long drought does not make the next pick any likelier.