How to Pick a Random Card in Python

Last Updated : 28 Apr, 2025

The Python Random module is a built-in Python module, used to create random integers. Because these are pseudo-random numbers, they are not actually random. This module may be used to generate random numbers, print a random value from a list or string, and so on.

To choose a random card from a deck of cards in Python, you must first store all of the cards. Then select a card at random. However, there are 52 cards. it's not a good idea to keep all of the cards in a list one by one. In Python, you must first save all of the cards in a data structure before selecting a random card. So, before we place a card in a data structure, let's look at the various types of cards in a deck of cards.

To Pick a Random Card in Python follow the steps below:

Step 1: Import the random library

import random

Step 2: Store the signs and value of the cards

cards = ["Diamonds", "Spades", "Hearts", "Clubs"]
ranks = [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, "Jack", "Queen", "King", "Ace"]

Step 3: Using the random module, choose a random value from both the list and return the value

def pick_a_card():
    card = random.choices(cards)
    rank = random.choices(ranks)
    return(f"The {rank} of {card}")

Step 4: Return and print the value

print(pick_a_card())

Example 1:

Python3

# importing library
import random

# storing the signs and the rank value
cards = ["Diamonds", "Spades", "Hearts", "Clubs"]
ranks = [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, "Jack", "Queen", "King", "Ace"]

# random value from both the list


def pick_a_card():
    card = random.choices(cards)
    rank = random.choices(ranks)

    # returning the selected card
    return(f"The {rank} of {card}")


# printing the selected card
print(pick_a_card())

Output:

The [3] of ['Hearts']

Example 2:

In this method, instead of printing the suit names, we will print their symbols using Unicode.

Python3

# importing library
import random

def pick_a_card():
      # picking random value for suit and rank
    suit = random.randint(1, 4)
    value = random.randint(1, 13)

    # if-elif for selecting suit
    if suit == 1:
        random_suit = '\u2660'
    elif suit == 2:
        random_suit = '\u2665'
    elif suit == 3:
        random_suit = '\u2666'
    else:
        random_suit = '\u2663'
        
    # if-elif for selecting rank
    if value == 1:
        random_value = 'Ace'
    elif value == 11:
        random_value = 'Jack'
    elif value == 12:
        random_value = 'Queen'
    elif value == 13:
        random_value = 'King'
    else:
        random_value = value
        
    # returning the selected card
    return(f"The {random_value} of {random_suit}")

# printing the selected card
print(pick_a_card())

Output:

The 4 of ♥

Example 3:

Python3

#importing library
import random

#storing the signs and the rank value 
cards = ["♦️", "♠️", "♥️", "♣️"]
ranks = [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, "Jack", "Queen", "King", "Ace"]

#random value from both the list and return the value
def pick_a_card():
    card = random.choices(cards)
    rank = random.choices(ranks)
    
    # returning the selected card
    return(f"The {rank} of {card}")

# printing the selected card
print(pick_a_card())