Random pair generator
Paste the names and the list is shuffled into pairs. Unlike the team generator there is no number of groups to set here: the group size is fixed at two, and how many pairs there are follows from how many people you paste.
Groups of 2 — how many groups follows from the list
0 names in the list
How to use
- 1.Paste the names, one per line.
- 2.Press draw. The number of pairs is worked out from the count.
- 3.With an odd number of people one group comes out as three, and which group that is is random.
Fixed size, not a fixed number of groups
Pairing is the case where the usual question is backwards. You do not want four groups, you want groups of two, and how many of them there are depends on who showed up. The list is shuffled first and then cut into twos, so the pairing is random rather than a reflection of the order you typed.
What happens with an odd number
Somebody cannot pair. One group becomes a three rather than leaving a person alone, and because the groups are shuffled afterwards the group of three is not always at the end of the list. Agreeing in advance that a three is acceptable works better than redrawing until it comes out even, which it never will.
Pairing is not the same as matching
This cuts a shuffled list into twos. It does not build a chain where everyone gives to someone else without drawing their own name, which is what a gift exchange needs, and it has no notion of who should not be paired together. Pairs that must be kept apart have to be handled by hand before the draw.
Frequently asked questions
What if I have an odd number of people?
One group comes out with three people in it, chosen at random, rather than leaving someone unpaired.
Can I stop two specific people being paired?
No, the draw takes no constraints. Pair them deliberately first and draw the rest.
Can I make groups of three or four instead?
Use the random team generator and divide your headcount by the size you want to get the number of teams.
Is it the same as a gift exchange draw?
No. A gift exchange needs a one-way chain in which nobody draws themselves. This cuts the list into pairs, which is a different structure.
Running a giveaway on an Instagram post?
The comment picker reads the post, counts the entries and produces a public verification page with a code anyone can open — things a list pasted by hand cannot prove. Free up to 100 comments.
Pick from comments