diff --git a/client/src/pages/home.tsx b/client/src/pages/home.tsx
index 9becdd9..220a866 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/home.tsx
+++ b/client/src/pages/home.tsx
@@ -493,6 +493,19 @@ export default function Home() {
     return rows;
   }, [gridItems]);
 
+  const widePickedArticles = useMemo(() => {
+    if (!articles || articles.length < 3) return [];
+    const carouselIds = new Set(articles.slice(0, 9).map((a) => a.id));
+    const candidates = articles.filter((a) => !carouselIds.has(a.id));
+    const pool = candidates.length >= 2 ? candidates : articles;
+    const copy = [...pool];
+    for (let i = copy.length - 1; i > 0; i--) {
+      const j = Math.floor(Math.random() * (i + 1));
+      [copy[i], copy[j]] = [copy[j], copy[i]];
+    }
+    return copy.slice(0, 2);
+  }, [articles]);
+
   if (isLoading || !articles) {
     return (
       <div className="min-h-screen bg-background">
@@ -522,10 +535,11 @@ export default function Home() {
           </div>
         ))}
 
-        {shuffled.length > 1 && (
+        {widePickedArticles.length > 0 && (
           <div className="grid grid-cols-1 lg:grid-cols-2 gap-4">
-            <WideCard article={shuffled[shuffled.length - 1]} focalPoints={focalPoints} />
-            <WideCard article={shuffled[shuffled.length - 2]} focalPoints={focalPoints} />
+            {widePickedArticles.map((a) => (
+              <WideCard key={`wide-${a.id}`} article={a} focalPoints={focalPoints} />
+            ))}
           </div>
         )}