title: MySQL: Select Random Entry, but Weight Towards Certain Entries
body: <p>I've got a MySQL table with a bunch of entries in it, and a column called "Multiplier." The default (and most common) value for this column is 0, but it could be any number.</p>
  
  <p>What I need to do is select a single entry from that table at random. However, the rows are weighted according to the number in the "Multiplier" column. A value of 0 means that it's not weighted at all. A value of 1 means that it's weighted twice as much, as if the entry were in the table twice. A value of 2 means that it's weighted three times as much, as if the entry were in the table three times.</p>
  
  <p>I'm trying to modify what my developers have already given me, so sorry if the setup doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I could probably change it but want to keep as much of the existing table setup as possible.</p>
  
  <p>I've been trying to figure out how to do this with SELECT and RAND(), but don't know how to do the weighting. Is it possible?</p>