Sic Bo | Complete Guide
Sic Bo just might be the grandfather of all gambling dice games. Players enjoy its fast-paced action that’s more akin to roulette than craps.
In this Sic Bo guide, you’ll learn about the rules, gameplay mechanics, terminology, and available wagers. We’ll show you a couple of legit sites to play online and the best strategies to win more money.
Sic Bo Beginner’s Guide
Everything You Need to Play & Win
What is Sic Bo?
The ancient Chinese gambling staple, Sic Bo, is a simple guessing game where you wager on a three-dice roll. Translated to English, the game’s name means “precious dice.”
While it bears a passing resemblance to craps, sitting down for an online Sic Bo session offers players an entirely different experience.
Sic Bo vs. Craps
You’ll notice one difference right away. Sic Bo uses three, six-sided dice instead of the pair found in craps.
The betting structure is more similar to roulette. You wager on even money outcomes, like the red or black bets, and more unlikely dice combinations with higher payouts like single numbers and group bets.
These days, you won’t find many Sic Bo tables in Vegas, and even most online casinos don’t carry it in digital form. While it is still prevalent in Macau and other parts of the world, the dominant game in the United States is definitely Craps.
Sic Bo Table Layout
A typical Sic Bo table in Macau might have multiple dealers and more than one game layout. The diagram below shows you the basics elements of the game you will see in a casino.
Sic Bo Bets Explained
In standard Sic Bo, you have 50 places you put your chips on the felt while tables with three dice combination areas have 100 options. So, understanding the bets and wagering zones ahead of time is very useful. Let’s take a look at each spot and what it means.
The Small and Big Bets
The upper left and right corners are marked small and big, respectively. A bet on small means you believe the next roll will result in a total between 4 and 10. Betting on big means you think the next roll will result in a total between 11 and 17.
These wagers both pay 1 to 1 and have about a 48.6% chance to win. It’s not quite 50% since 3 and 18 get excluded from the totals.
Double and Triple Bets
The double and triple bets are in the center between Small and Big. Individual doubles pay 1 to 10, and specific triples pay a whopping 1 to 180. These bets require you to pick a number between 1 and 6 that you think will hit on the next roll.
If all three dice are the same, you If all three dice are the same, you can also wager on “any triple” for a 1 to 30 payout. You don’t have to pick which number they land on.
Exact Sum Bets
The next betting area is for guessing the exact sum of all three dice on in a roll. The numbers in this section range from 4 to 17. If you want to wager on 3 or 18, you need to place your bet on the specific triple area up top since those have only one way to hit each.
Payouts for the exact sum stakes vary. A wager on 4 or 17 gets you 60 to 1, but 9 – 12 earns only 6 to 1 since it has more ways to land.
Two Dice Combinations
As we progress down the table, the next betting area is for two dice combinations. These spots let you wager on two specific numbers that will appear among the three dice. There are 15 options here with the doubles removed since they get their own space.
All of these combination wagers pay 5 to 1. They are sometimes called “domino bets” because of their resemblance to the felt.
Dice Face Bets
Below the combination betting area are the dice face wagers. Pick a number 1 – 6 and put your chips on it if you think at least one of the three dice will be that specific number on the next roll. If more than one of them hits at a time, you get an extra payout.
A single dice face pays 1 to 1. If you get two out of three, you get 2 to 1, and if all three land on your number, you earn a 3 to 1 payout.
Three Dice Combinations
The final betting area is off to the left of the main betting area but only available on some Sic Bo tables. These wagers let you guess the exact three-dice combination of the next roll. They make up another 50 options, so pay close attention to where you put your chips.
The 30 combinations that include doubles pay 50 to 1. The remaining 20 combo choices pay 30 to 1.
How to Play Sic Bo
Sic Bo is a straightforward game. All wagers are for the outcome of the next roll only. Let’s look at how to play the game step by step.
Buy Into a Table
At a land-based casino, the dealer will take you cash and give you a chip stack. If you play online, you simply need to make a deposit or have funds in your account to join a table.Place Your Bets
Place your chips on the felt in areas that correspond with your predictions of the next dice roll. The table explains what each space means and the payouts you can expect. The dealer is also there to answer any questions you may have.The Dealer “Shakes” the Dice
After everyone puts their chips into the betting areas, the dealer will “roll” the dice. They are usually in a small glass dome and get shaken up electronically to determine the outcome. At some old-school tables, the dealer will toss or shake them by hand.Winning Wagers
Depending on the outcome of the roll, the dealer will collect losing stakes and payout winning bets. Make sure to collect your chips if you don’t want to bet them in the next round.On to the Next Round
Unlike craps, all bets are single-roll predictions. So, once the board is clear, you can start the process over and change up your wagers for the next roll, re-bet the same spots, or let your winnings ride.
Sic Bo Strategy
Sic Bo’s strategy revolves around making bets with lower house edges since it is a game of pure chance. Don’t get roped into betting systems or thinking that the last five rolls affect the next one. Each toss of the dice is independent and has the same odds as the last.
Any casino dice offering is going to be a true guessing game. That said, there is one Sic Bo strategy that new players follow to try and win more and stretch their budget.
Placing Only The Small and Big Bets
Savvy players know that the path to profitability is sticking to a game’s most favorable wagers. That means avoiding some bets that have high payouts but rarely hit. To reduce the house edge in Sic Bo to just less than 3%, the only thing you need to remember is small and big.
These basic Sic Bo bets offer the lowest house edge in the game. By keeping your chips exclusively in these areas, the game becomes one of the most favorable offerings at the casino.
Sic Bo Odds & Payouts
The table below shows the typical odds and payouts of every Sic Bo roll. Keep this chart nearby while you play, so you know what bets have good odds and low house edges.
Sic Bo Payout Table
| Bet | Roll Probability | Payout | House Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big | 48.61% | 1 to 1 | 2.78% |
| Small | 48.61% | 1 to 1 | 2.78% |
| Specific Triple | 0.46% | 180 to 1 | 16.2% |
| Specific Double | 7.41% | 10 to 1 | 18.5% |
| Any Triple | 2.8% | 30 to 1 | 13.9% |
| Dice Total 4 or 17 | 1.4% | 60 to 1 | 15.3% |
| Dice Total 5 or 16 | 2.8% | 30 to 1 | 13.9% |
| Dice Total 6 or 15 | 4.6% | 17 to 1 | 12% |
| Dice Total 7 or 14 | 6.9% | 12 to 1 | 9.7% |
| Dice Total 8 or 13 | 9.7% | 8 to 1 | 12.5% |
| Dice Total 9 or 12 | 11.6% | 6 to 1 | 7.4% |
| Dice Total 10 or 11 | 12.5% | 6 to 1 | 12.5% |
| Two Dice Combinations | 13.9% | 5 to 1 | 16.7% |
| Single Dice Face | 34.72% | 1 to 1 | 7.9% |
| Double Dice Face | 6.94% | 2 to 1 | 7.9% |
| Triple Dice Face | 0.46% | 3 to 1 | 7.9% |
| Three Dice Combos w/ Singles | 2.8% | 30 to 1 | 13.9% |
| Three Dice Combo w/ Doubles | 1.4% | 50 to 1 | 29.2% |
Best Casinos to Play Similar Games Like Sic Bo Online
While no US-facing casinos have Sic Bo, you can play other dice games like craps and Roll the Dice at several top sites. Sign up today for an experience you can trust.
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Roll the Dice and Bet on Sic Bo
After reading through this Sic Bo guide, you should know the table in and out. When you find a land-based table or real money online casino with the game, we suggest you give it a try. The betting style is similar to roulette, but you wager on a dice roll instead of where the ball will land in the wheel.
Sign up at Lucky Red Casino today and download the Windows 10 software to play online Sic Bo for real money. Place the small and big bets to start off with the best chance to win and get a feel for the game’s pace.
Sic Bo FAQ
Below are answers to some of the most common questions we get asked about Sic Bo games.
Can I play sic bo online?
You can play Sic Bo online at our recommended casinos. You’ll be able to find game variants as well as traditional Sic Bo.
Most online casinos will offer better odds than live casinos which further drive down the house edge and makes the game more favorable to the player.
Should I play Sic Bo?
Ultimately, this is up to you. It needs to be about entertainment when it comes to Sic Bo as you can see that no one can win in the long run due to the insurmountable house edge.
However, the house edge is low enough so that you can have winning sessions if you get lucky and choose the right time to stop playing.
Is sic bo rigged?
No, sic bo isn’t rigged. The casinos we recommend are strictly monitored and regulated by authorities in their jurisdiction to make sure no game is rigged.
