Pocketball Picker
Pocketball Picker
A cue ball hits the group, and name balls bounce around the table until they enter pockets. The pocket order creates the ranking.
Pocketball order
Start pocketball and the white cue ball will hit name balls on a frictionless table.
Purpose
Use a billiards-style simulation when you want a longer visual random ranking.
How to use
- Enter names or items.
- Shuffle the ball positions if desired.
- Start the pocketball game.
- Check the pocket order and final last place.
Pocket order is the ranking
A white cue ball scatters the labelled balls, and the order they drop into pockets becomes the ranking. It produces a full ordering naturally rather than picking a single winner.
The cue ball's initial direction and power come from unbiased randomness, and the collisions after that follow physics. Even with an identical starting layout, a small difference in the cue changes the whole result.
How it differs from other ranking tools
The order picker produces a full ordering instantly, and the pinball course builds one over a long descent. Pocketball sits between them: the balls scatter and the ranking firms up as they drop one by one.
It works particularly well with a group watching. One cue strike moves many balls at once, so the early reaction is large, and the tension rises again as fewer balls remain.
Speed and full screen
Slow, normal, and fast are available. Fast when you only need the result, slow when the process is the point. Changing speed has no effect on fairness.
Full screen mode scales the table to fill the display. The labels on the balls are small, so full screen is recommended whenever a group is watching.
The same speed on every device
This tool also advances its physics in fixed increments based on real elapsed time, so the pace is identical regardless of a display's refresh rate.
Several people opening it on their own devices will not see one finish ahead of another.
With larger groups
More balls means a crowded table where labels become hard to tell apart. Around eight is where everything stays readable on screen.
Above that, use it to pick the top few, or switch to the order picker when you need a complete ordering quickly.
Examples
- Rank players
- Pick a last-place penalty
- Create a party draw
- Choose a meeting order
Notes
- The game uses simulated physics and is meant for casual random decisions.
- Very small screens may show less detail, so use presentation mode for group viewing.
FAQ
What decides the order?
The order is based on when each name ball enters a pocket.