Raffle rehearsal · Request and result

Weighted picker returned fewer winners? Check the positive-weight count

Published: November 4, 2026

For a weighted draw without replacement, compare your requested winner count with the number of entries that have positive weight. Check the completed result too. A picker may reduce the request or refuse it; showing a zero-weight entry in a table does not make that entry selectable.

On November 4, 2026, we rehearsed this in CalcBE with three invented labels: V01 Aster at weight 5, V02 Birch at 1, and V03 Cedar at 0. We disabled automatic drawing, left merging and seed mode off, and selected without replacement. This was a synthetic browser rehearsal.

Did the picker complete the number you requested?

Our first request was for three draws. The Draws input still displayed 3 after generation, but the summary reported two draws and an adjustment to 2. The result contained Aster and Birch, with Cedar absent. The list counters showed three items, two valid items, total weight 6 and zero input errors.

The extra table row did not add a winner. We enabled the option to show zero-weight items and drew again. Cedar appeared in the probability table with weight 0 and probability 0%. The counters still showed only two valid items, and the completed result still contained just Aster and Birch. No weight was changed.

Strict mode refused the same request for three. CalcBE displayed an error explaining that three were requested but only two entries had positive weight. The winner list and probability table were empty in this recorded state. Its input counters still showed three items, two valid items, total weight 6 and zero input errors.

With strict mode still enabled, we reduced the request to two and generated again. Aster and Birch appeared as the two winners; the summary reported two draws without an adjustment. Cedar remained visible at 0% in the probability table. The original three input lines and total weight 6 were unchanged.

Should you change the request or the entry list?

Is the zero weight intentional? Keep it. Reduce the number of distinct winners to the available positive-weight entries, or pause until the event's agreed rules permit another eligible entry. Do not increase somebody's weight merely to fill an extra award slot. Confirm the final winner count before sharing the result.

Which behavior is already documented? CalcBE exposes adjustment and strict controls; Quick Note says its duplicate-free picker stops at the available item count. RandomPicker explains that zero-weight entries cannot win. Our evidence is the recorded four-state comparison, including the unchanged request field and empty strict-mode output.

Download our observation transcript and browser replay instructions. The transcript contains selected form values, counters, visible results and table rows. It records the interface, not a CalcBE CSV export. With seed mode off, winner order can differ; compare counts and membership, not a promised order.

This page checks one weighted request against its selectable pool. Our candidate-versus-award guide concerns ticket ownership after candidates are drawn, while the last-selection guide checks exclusions across rounds. Random Team Split's raffle number tool does not apply weights. This rehearsal does not certify a draw or choose an event's eligibility rules.