random number 1 to 3Number 1 to 3

A random number from 1 to 3

A coin settles two options. For three, you need something that splits the chances into thirds, and that is what this page does: the range is already set from 1 to 3, so one press of Generate (or the Space bar) gives you 1, 2 or 3, each with exactly one chance in three.

Three-way decisions it handles well

• Three friends, one choice. Who drives, who picks the film, who goes first. Give each person a number before you press, not after.
• Three restaurants, three routes, three outfits. Write them down as 1, 2 and 3 so nobody can quietly renumber them.
• A fair computer move. Playing rock, paper, scissors alone? Let 1 be rock, 2 paper and 3 scissors, and the machine never favors one.
• A random order for three people. Choose 3 numbers with No repeats on and read them left to right: that is your batting order, speaking order or turn order.

Why not just “pick one in your head”?

When people choose in their heads, they are rarely as even-handed as they think: a favorite, a superstition or simply whatever was said last creeps into the choice. A generator has no such habits: 1 and 3 come up exactly as often as 2. If you want a decision nobody can argue with, agree on what each number means, then let the reel stop where it stops.

For two options, the coin flip is quicker. For four or more, the same tool works with a wider range, or try the 1 to 4 page.