Sic Bo is an Asian dice game played with three six-sided dices. It originated in China, where the name Sic Bo means “precious dice”.
Unlike dice games such as Craps, the players are not allowed to throw the dice in Sic Bo. It has traditionally been the responsability of the dealer, and today, many casinos have taken a step further and automated the process. The three dice will be safeguarded under a see-through glass dome and the dealer only has to push a button to vigorously shake the plate upon which the dice are resting under the dome. When they come to rest again after the shake up, everyone at the table can see the result without the dome being removed. With this set up, no one – not even the dealer – have any opportunity to actually touch the dice during a gambling session.
The dice
Nowadays, most casinos opt for the European-style six-sided dice for Sic Bo – the one with dots.
There are however casinos that instead use a six-sided dice adorned with Chinese symbols, typically a fish, a shrimp, a goard, a coin, a crab, and a rooster. The fish and the rooster are associated with the color red, the shrimp and the crab with green, and the goard and the coin with blue.
Sic Bo bets
Just as when you play roulette, you can chose between many different bets at the Sic Bo table. A higher chance of winning is associated with a lower payout, while higher risk bets come with higher rewards if you do manage to win.
Here are a few examples of available Sic Bo bets:
Bet | Description | Chance of winning | |
Big | You win if the total sum is 13 or higher, unless it is a tripple. | 48,6% | |
Small | You win if the total sum is 10 or lower, unless it is a tripple. | 48,6% | |
Odd | You win if the total sum is an odd number, unless it is a tripple.
| 48,6% | |
Even | You win if the total sum is an even number, unless it is a tripple. | 48,6% | |
Single Dice Bet | This category is home to three different possible bets:
| At least one dice: 34,72% At least two dice: 6,94% All three dice: 0,46% | |
Dice Combinations | This category is home to a wide range of bets, since you simply bet on what you think two of the three dice will show. | 13,9% | |
Three Dice Total | You bet on what you think the total sum will be.
| 4 or 17 | 1,4% |
5 or 16 | 2,8% | ||
6 or 15 | 4,6% | ||
7 or 14 | 6,9% | ||
8 or 13 | 9,7% | ||
9 or 12 | 11,6% | ||
10 or 11 | 12,5% | ||
Four Number Combination | This category is home to four different bets:
You get paid if the three dices display numbers that are included in your selected combination. | 11,1% | |
Specific Doubles | You win if the result includes your selected double. | 7,41% | |
Three Single Number Combination | You win if you correctly predicted exactly what each dice would display. | 2,8% | |
Any Triple | You win if the result is (any) tripple. | 2,8% | |
Specific Double | You win if you correctly predicted the right double. | 1,4% | |
Specific Triple | You win if you correctly predicted the right tripple. | 0,46% |