Pick a number 1-3 on a spinning wheel
Three is an awkward number for a coin, which has two sides, and a perfect number for a wheel. This page is a random number generator 1-3: three equal slices, one spin, one answer. Use it to pick a number from one through three, break a three-way tie, or play a round of rock, paper, scissors against the wheel.
It is free and runs in your browser. The page opens ready on 1 to 3, so there is nothing to set up. Press Spin, and the number that comes up is shown in a window.
How to use the 1 to 3 number generator
- Give each number a meaning. For example, 1 is pizza, 2 is tacos and 3 is noodles.
- Press Spin. You can also click the wheel or press Ctrl (⌘ on a Mac) plus Enter.
- Read the result. The number is shown in a window and listed on the Results tab.
- Spin again if you need more. Switch on No repeats to take each picked number off the wheel, so three spins give you all three in a random order.
Why three options need a wheel
A coin settles a choice between two. A three-way choice usually ends up as two coin flips with awkward rules, and the order of the flips quietly changes the odds. A wheel with three equal slices avoids that. Each number has a one-in-three chance, about 33.3%, on every spin.
The pick is made before the wheel moves. Your browser’s secure random number generator chooses one of the three numbers, and the wheel turns to stop on it. The spin is for show and cannot alter the answer. For more detail, see how WheelSpinny picks.
Rock, paper, scissors with a number wheel
A 1-3 spinner makes a simple opponent for rock, paper, scissors. Call 1 rock, 2 paper and 3 scissors. Choose your throw first, secretly, then spin to see the wheel’s throw. Because every number has the same chance, you cannot beat it with a clever pattern. Over many rounds, you should expect to win about a third of the time, tie about a third, and lose about a third.
The same throw can come up twice in a row. That is what random looks like, so do not read a pattern into it.
Ideas for a random number 1 through 3
- A three-way tie. Three friends, three places to eat. Number the places and spin once.
- Which job first. Tidy, wash, pack: switch on No repeats and spin three times to get the order, then use Copy on the Results tab.
- Podium places. Give three players a number each and spin to decide who takes first, second and third place in a friendly draw.
- Classroom groups. Split a class into three teams by giving each student a number from 1 to 3.
- Story and drawing prompts. Number three prompts and let the wheel choose which one to start with.
- A traffic-light game. Call 1 red, 2 amber and 3 green for a quick game of “what do we do now?” with children.
Choose a spinner for the job
If you want three named options on the wheel instead of numbers, the random name picker takes any labels you type. If you want the same three choices shuffled into a full order in one click, use the list randomizer. If the choice is really yes, no or maybe, the yes or no wheel already has the words.
Need more numbers? The 1 to 4 and 1 to 5 pages work the same way, and you can change the range on this page at any time by editing From and To.
Breaking a tie between three people
Ties between three people are the hardest to settle, because nobody wants to be the one who loses twice. A single spin of a 1-3 wheel is quick and clear: whoever holds the number that comes up wins, and the other two accept it.
If you need a second place as well as a winner, switch on No repeats. The first number picked is the winner. Close its result and spin again, and the second number is second place. The number left on the wheel is third, and nobody had to argue about the order.
Write the numbers down or give each person a slip before the spin, so there is no doubt about who holds which number. If people choose their own numbers, let them choose in turn, and give the last pick to the person who picked last for the previous round. Small rules like that remove most of the grumbling.
Keep the meaning fixed
Write down what 1, 2 and 3 mean on a scrap of paper before the first spin, and keep it visible. If the meaning shifts after the result, the wheel gets blamed for a rule that changed.
The same applies to repeats. Decide whether the same number can come up twice, then set No repeats to match.
Good to know
- The wheel holds the numbers 1, 2 and 3, both ends included.
- Your range and settings are saved in your own browser, and the Results tab lasts until you close or reload the page. Nothing is sent to a server.
- The tool works on phones, tablets and desktops, and with a keyboard. The result is announced to screen readers.
- A device set to reduce motion skips the long spin.
- It is for games and everyday choices, not for security or regulated draws.