About the Draw Lots
Drawing lots is the oldest way to pick a winner fairly: everyone takes one identical slip and only then finds out what's on it. This tool replaces the paper slips with cards on screen that each person taps to flip. The card order is shuffled with your browser's cryptographic random generator (crypto), so nobody can know it in advance. Besides win and blank, you can write your own lots such as 1st/2nd/3rd prize or roles.
How to use
- In Win ยท Blank mode, enter the total number of lots and the number of winners. You can change the texts, e.g. "Pays" and "Safe".
- To hand out prizes or roles, choose Custom lots and write one lot per line.
- Participants take turns tapping a card to flip it. The counters above show how many lots and wins are left.
- Reveal all flips the remaining cards; Shuffle again starts a new round.
Drawing first or last is equally fair
With 10 lots and 1 winner, the first person wins with probability 1/10. The second person only gets a chance if the first drew a blank (9/10), and then picks 1 of 9: 9/10 ร 1/9 = 1/10 โ the same. Regardless of order, everyone's chance is winners รท total lots.
| Lots ยท Winners | Chance per person |
|---|---|
| 5 ยท 1 | 20% |
| 10 ยท 1 | 10% |
| 10 ยท 3 | 30% |
| 30 ยท 5 | about 16.7% |
When to use it
- Raffles and giveaways: custom lots with 1st/2nd/3rd prize and blanks on a big screen
- Chores and penalties: who cleans, who pays, who takes the forfeit
- Groups and roles: write "Group A", "Group B" or "Host", "Notes"
FAQ
Can I see the result before flipping?
No. The cards are shuffled randomly each time and their faces are hidden until flipped. Changing the settings or pressing Shuffle again creates a completely new order.
How many lots can I make?
From 2 to 100, enough for a large class or event.
Is there a record of what was drawn?
Every flipped card is added to the Draw order list below, and Copy puts it on your clipboard as text.
Are my settings saved?
The number of lots, winners, texts and custom lots are saved in this browser. The card order is reshuffled every time.