Short Straw
Draw straws — whoever gets the short one loses. Settle who pays, who goes first or who’s it instantly.
Settings
The short straw is decided in your browser with cryptographic randomness — fair.
Other Draw & Raffle Tools
Draw the short straw to pick the loser
Drawing straws is one of the most classic ways to pick the loser or chosen one fairly in a group. The straws stand upright and all look the same; each person draws one in turn. Whoever draws the short straw is chosen. It settles who’s it, who pays the bill, who goes first.
How do you play?
If you add players, the straw count adjusts automatically and turns rotate; the player who drew the short straw is announced on screen. Without players, just choose the straw count and draw. The short straw is decided fresh each game with cryptographic randomness — it can’t be predicted.
Where can you use it?
Anywhere a group needs to pick who's stuck with the task:
- Household chores: Who does the washing up, takes the bins out, hoovers the front room — fair and unarguable.
- Buying the next round: Pub night decision — who's up next at the bar.
- Designated driver: Fair way to decide who's the sober one for tonight's drive home.
- Ordering the takeaway: Who rings the curry house, who orders the pizza, who deals with the delivery driver.
- Classroom picks: Who presents, who reads the passage, who solves the board problem.
- Office duties: Meeting notes, coffee run, arranging the next client dinner — no volunteering needed.
A short history of drawing straws
Drawing lots or straws to make decisions is found in every ancient culture. In Ancient Greece, roles and duties were often assigned by drawing lots or straws. In the Bible, the apostles used lots to choose Judas’s replacement. Sailors throughout history assigned dangerous duties to whoever "drew the short straw" — the very phrase we still use today comes from this maritime tradition. What was once a way of settling disputes at sea remains, in modern life, the fairest way to answer "who pays" or "who’s it" among equals.
Frequently asked questions
Is the short straw position really random?
Yes. Each new game the position is decided by your browser’s cryptographic random number generator; no straw is favoured.
How many players can play?
Adding player names is optional. Add two or more players and turns rotate; whoever draws the short straw is announced as the loser.
What happens to the person who draws the short straw?
The chosen one — usually who’s it, whose turn it is or who takes on a task. Entirely up to you.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes. It works on phones, tablets and computers.
Is the short straw’s position really unknown in advance?
Yes. The short straw’s position is decided from scratch each new game by your browser’s cryptographic random number generator; no straw is favoured. Nobody — not even us — knows which straw is short before you draw.
How many people can play?
From two upwards — add as many players as you like. Player names are optional; you can just pick a straw count. If you add players, they take turns and the one who draws the short straw is announced on screen.
What happens to the one who draws the short straw?
Up to you. Usually the "loser", "who’s it", "who pays the bill" or "the chosen one" — but you can invert it and call them the "winner" too.
Are my results or game activity stored?
No. Results and game state stay in your browser and are not sent to or permanently stored on a server. Refreshing or closing the page resets the session.
Does it take up storage on my device?
No. Online Kura runs entirely in your browser — nothing is installed. Add it to your home screen to use it like an app.
How do I add Online Kura to my phone’s home screen?
iPhone (Safari): tap the Share icon and choose “Add to Home Screen”. Android (Chrome): open the three-dot menu and tap “Add to Home screen”.