Random Number Between 1 and 6
This picks a whole number from one to six, the same spread as an ordinary die. Every value has the same 16.67 percent chance, on this draw and on every draw after it.
1 to 6 1
6 possible values, each equally likely. Tick nothing and repeats can happen; that is what random means.
What the odds actually are
Six outcomes, each 1 in 6, or 16.67 percent. Nothing on this page changes that. Draw six numbers and the chance that a particular value, say 6, shows up at least once is 66.51 percent, not 100 percent. The chance all six values appear exactly once across six draws is only 1.54 percent.
Repeats are not a fault
Two draws in a row match 16.67 percent of the time. By the fourth draw the chance that some value has already repeated is 72.22 percent, and after seven draws a repeat is certain. Three 4s in a row is an ordinary thing for a range this small, not a sign the generator is stuck. Nor is a value that has not appeared “due” to appear: each draw ignores every draw before it.
Getting 1 to 6 without a computer
A die is the obvious answer. Coins are awkward, because 6 is not a power of two. The honest method is to flip three coins, which gives eight equally likely patterns, assign six of them to the numbers 1 to 6, and reflip whenever one of the two spare patterns comes up. That works out at four flips on average.
What it gets used for
- Turn order for up to six players
- Playing a dice game when the die is lost
- Splitting a class or a queue into six groups
- Choosing between six equally acceptable options
If you want the die itself, with pips, use roll a d6 or the full dice roller. For any other range, set your own limits on the random number generator.