- Sic Bo is an ancient Chinese gambling game
- It is played with three dice
- The Sic Bo table is very similar to the one of Roulette
With this article you are going to learn how to play and get the best odds to win at Sic Bo – a Casino game most people know nothing about.
If you never heard of Sic Bo, I’m not surprised. Slots, Blackjack, Roulette, Video Poker, and Baccarat are awesome Casino games. No argument there.And they are everywhere. From Casinos, obviously, to references in pop culture. People know about these games even if they have never played any of them.
But that’s not all Casinos have to offer. If you checked every single game even at the smallest online Casino, you’d find something you never heard about.
Like the game of Sic Bo.
What is Sic Bo? Sic Bo in a Nutshell
What is Sic Bo? It’s a game of chance played with three dice. It’s originally from China and sometimes gets referred to as Dai Siu, Tai Sai, Hi-Lo, or the Big and Small game.
Did you know there are only two Casino games including dice? And Sic Bo is one of them.
The game has a couple of variants, including an English version called Grand Hazard and the US version Chuch-a-luck.
The original Sic Bo game is most popular in Asia and Macau Casinos. But with the power of the internet, you can play it online no matter where you are.
And this Sic Bo guide will help you to start playing the game. And to avoid common mistakes that beginners make.
How to Play Sic Bo Online
The games of chance are easy to learn. Usually. But if you take a look at Sic Bo table for the first time in your life, you will feel very lost.
If you thought Craps and Roulette table layout was complicated, you should look at this beauty.
It may be frustrating at first but it’s not that difficult to learn the Sic Bo rules. And it’s even easier when you play online. You’ll see in this guide.
The main goal of this game is not that different from other Casino games. It involves betting on specific dice outcomes.
The gameplay goes like this:
- you place your bets by putting chips on areas depicting outcomes you want to bet on
- the dealer shakes three dice closed in a tiny chest (or the game software “rolls” the dice and shows their random outcomes)
- you win for every number or sum you have predicted and lose if your predictions were wrong
Sic Bo Betting Options
As you can guess, the betting options are the important (and fun) part of the game. And you can see from the Sic Bo table, there are plenty of those.
Small and Big Bets
The most basic ones you need to know are the Small and the Big bets.
- The Small bet is when you bet on any dice sum between (and including) 4 and 10.
- The Big bet is when the sum is between (and including) 11 and 17.
They usually pay 1 to 1 and have the smallest house edge. Thus, these are the best odds you can have in a Sic Bo game.
But you may notice the sums of 3 and 18 are missing. That’s because when you bet Small or Big, any triple sum (three dice with same numbers, e.g. 1-1-1, 6-6-6) makes you lose.
Thus, these bets are not exactly 50/50 but have a probability of 48.61 percent.
Other Sums Bets
Don’t feel like betting on specific dice numbers and their combinations? You can always choose one specific sum and bet on it.
It can be anything between (and including) 4 and 17.
But different sums have a different amount of winning possibilities.
For example, you can get the sum of 4 only three ways: 1-1-2, 1-2-1, and 2-1-1. Same goes for 17. Thus, these sums have the biggest payouts and the biggest house edge.
You can see the payouts of sum bets in the table below:
| Bet | Payout | Bet | Payout | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 60 to 1 | 11 | 6 to 1 | |
| 5 | 30 to 1 | 12 | 6 to1 | |
| 6 | 17 to 1 | 13 | 8 to 1 | |
| 7 | 12 to 1 | 14 | 12 to 1 | |
| 8 | 8 to 1 | 15 | 17 to1 | |
| 9 | 6 to 1 | 16 | 30 to1 | |
| 10 | 6 to 1 | 17 | 60 to 1 |
Single Dice Bet
If you make Single Dice Bet, you predict that a specific number will appear on one, two, or all three dice.
You can choose any single number – from 1 to 6. If it appears on one dice, the payout is 1 to 1. If it appears on two dice – 2 to 1, on three – 3 to 1.
Double and Triple Bets
You will want to make a Double Bet when you have a strong feeling that two of the dice will come up having the same number.
This bet pays 10 to 1 but you have only 7.4 percent chance to predict it right.
Like the double, there are triple bets, too. You can bet that all three dice will have the same numbers. And if you are right, it pays 30 to 1.
You can also bet on a specific set of triples — but your odds are worse here.
Two Dice Combination Bets
If you look further Sic Bo table layout, you’ll see 15 domino-like areas for different two dice combinations, e.g. 1-2, 2-3, 3-5, etc.
That’s another thing you can bet on. Sometimes it’s called Domino bet, or simple Two Dice Combination bet.
It predicts the outcomes of two dice at once rather than all three or their sum. This bet pays 5 to 1.
Betting Options Recap
To make it even less confusing, here’s a table with all the bets, payouts, possible winning combinations, and house edge.
Make sure to use if the first times you play Sic Bo. Later on, you’ll get a hold of your odds for different bets and have a better understanding of which bets are better to make.
| Bet | Payout | Winning Combinations | House Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small or Big Bet | 1 to 1 | 105 | 2.78% |
| Sum of 4 or 17 | 60 to 1 | 3 | 15.28% |
| Sum of 5 or 16 | 30 to 1 | 6 | 13.89% |
| Sum of 6 or 15 | 17 to 1 | 10 | 16.67% |
| Sum of 7 or 14 | 12 to 1 | 15 | 9.72% |
| Sum of 8 or 13 | 8 to 1 | 21 | 12.50% |
| Sum of 9 or 12 | 6 to 1 | 25 | 18.99% |
| Sum of 10 or 11 | 6 to 1 | 27 | 12.50% |
| Single Dice Bet | 1 to 1, 2 to 1, 3 to 1 | 75, 15, 1 | 7.87% |
| Double Bet | 10 to 1 | 6 | 18.25% |
| Any Triple Bet | 30 to1 | 6 | 13.89% |
| Specific Triple Bet | 180 to 1 | 1 | 16.20% |
| Two Dice Combo | 5 to 1 | 30 | 16.67% |
How to Get the Best Chances to Win at Sic Bo Casino Game
Finding ways how to play optimal Sic Bo may be what led you to this article in the first place.
Then I have good news and bad news for you.
Bad news first: there is not a single solid Sic Bo betting strategy that would help you to win every single time.
I know, I know, that’s unfortunate.
But it’s a game of chance, after all. And there is nothing you can do to predict the exact outcomes of the dice.
Yet (the good news) if you want to play better get the best chances to win that the game allows, you CAN count on some Sic Bo strategy tips.
1. Don’t Get Tempted to Bet on Too Many Areas
When playing Sic Bo online, you can place multiple bets at once. Online Casinos usually allow betting on up to 16 areas per one roll. But I wouldn’t recommend betting on that many.
Sure, you’ll win multiple bets. But how many will you lose in the process?
Instead, analyze all the betting options.
- What are the chances of winning for each of them?
- Are the payouts even worth it?
Then you’ll have your own Sic Bo strategy. And you’ll manage your bankroll better than when playing the game randomly.
2. Place Most Bets on Big or Small Area
This may be an obvious choice by now. The Big and Small bets have the best odds and the smallest house edge.
If you play at land-based Casino, you can find some players betting only on Big and Small bets.
But betting only on those would be pretty boring, don’t you think?
And the fun element in Casino games is more important than the prizes you win. Thus, don’t forget to explore other betting options while still keeping most (and highest) bets on the Big or Small areas.
3. Don’t Fall for the Gambler’s Fallacy
Gambler’s fallacy is a common myth in gambling. It states that if something happens more frequently at some point, it will occur less frequently later on.
As in if the dice have been rolling Big sums for a long time, it will definitely roll a lot of Small ones now.
False.
The outcomes of the dice are not dependent on what happened before. So, don’t follow this blindly. Not in Sic Bo, not in Craps, and not in any other game of chance.
Where to Play Sic Bo Online
This guide was explicit enough, so don’t panic – I won’t bore you with hundreds of places where to play Sic Bo.
I doubt there are that many places online anyway. And even if there are, only a few would be any good for playing Sic Bo.
My recommendation?
No matter whether you’re a beginner or already had experience playing Sic Bo, you should try the games at this online Casino.
It features two Sic Bo platforms:
BGAMING’s platform may be a bit simpler and clearer, so you won’t get confused even if it’s your first time playing the game.
All the payouts are written on the layout already. And you can use the same platform for both free and real money gambling.
Bonus, you can change the color of the Sic Bo table. Maybe you have a lucky color you’d prefer to use?
If you want to feel the Chinese roots while playing the game, go for a Habanero platform.
It’s more traditional and has that Oriental feel to it.
But when it comes to the payouts, house edge, or any other important numbers, you’ll have the same experience no matter which Sic Bo platform you choose for playing.
祝好运 / Good luck!
Play Sic Bo!
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