How to Play Sic Bo – Rules and Tips

Sic Bo is a table game where the house rolls three six-sided dice and players can bet on the outcome. While the Sic Bo betting board looks complicated, it becomes fairly easy to understand after a few minutes.

Sic Bo Rules

After bets are placed, the dealer shakes the dice shaker and places it on the table. The cover is removed from the shaker and the dice are revealed. Losing bets are removed and then winning bets are paid.

Sic Bo Betting Options

There are a number of different bets you can place in Sic Bo.

  • Single Number – Bet on any of the dice landing on a single number (1,2,3,4,5,6). If two of the same number appears, the payout doubles. If all three dice land on the number, the payout triples.
  • Any Two Numbers – Bet on the dice landing on 2 specific numbers (1-2, 1-3, 1-4, etc.).
  • Double – Bet on a specific number to appear on at least 2 of the 3 dice.
  • Any Triple – Bet on all 3 dice landing on the same number.
  • Triple – Bet on all 3 dice landing on a specific number.
  • Small – Bet on the 3 dice to total 4-10.
  • Big – Bet on the 3 dice to total 11-17.
  • Total of 4 or 17 – Bet on the 3 dice to total 4 or 17.
  • Total of 5 or 16 – Bet on the 3 dice to total 5 or 16.
  • Total of 6 or 15 – Bet on the 3 dice to total 6 or 15.
  • Total of 7 or 14 – Bet on the 3 dice to total 7 or 14.
  • Total of 8 or 13 – Bet on the 3 dice to total 8 or 13.
  • Total of 9 or 12 – Bet on the 3 dice to total 9 or 12.
  • Total of 10 or 11 – Bet on the 3 dice to total 10 or 11.

Sic Bo in Action

Sic Bo Sample Rolls

Below is a few sample Sic Bo rolls followed by the winning bets.

Roll 1

2 4 6 

Sic Bo 2-4-6 Doll

Roll 2

2 2 4 

Sic Bo 2-2-4 Roll

Roll 3

3 3 3 

Sic Bo 3-3-3 Roll

Sic Bo Payouts, Odds and House Edge

Below are all of the payouts and the house advantage for each available Sic Bo bet.

Sic Bo Odds & Payouts
Bet Payout Win % House Edge
Small or Big 1 48.61% 2.78%
4,17 60 1.39% 15.28%
5,16 30 2.78% 13.89%
6,15 17 4.63% 16.67%
7,14 12 6.94% 9.72%
8,13 8 9.72% 12.50%
9,12 6 11.57% 18.98%
10,11 6 12.50% 12.50%
Triple 180 0.46% 16.20%
Any Triple 30 2.78% 13.89%
Double 10 7.41% 18.52%
Any 2 Numbers 5 13.89% 16.67%
Single Number 1-2-3 42.13% 7.87%

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Odds

Sic Bo Strategy

The two best betting options are either to bet a single number or to bet high or low. These bets have the lowest house edge in the game.

Even though the house edge for betting a specific triple is 16.20%, it’s worth throwing a dollar on it every once in a while to try and hit a big score.

Sic Bo Variations

There are a number of slight varioations of Sic Bo available in casinos and online.

  • Yee Hah Hi – This variation has pictures on the dice instead of numbers. All of the betting is the same with one exception. There are three different colors on the dice as well (2 red, 2 blue, s green) and betting is offered on color combinations.
  • Chuck-a-Luck – This simplified version of Sic Bo is used in carnivals and charity games. Only single die bets are usually allowed.
  • Grand Hazard – The British Version of Sic Bo has a slightly simplified, easier to read betting table. The game features worse odds for the players as well.

Sic Bo History

Sic Bo means β€œDice Pair” in Chinese. Although the exact era Sic Bo first appeared is unknown, it made its way from China to various countries around the globe in the 20th Century. Sic Bo can now be found in most live and online casinos.

Sic Bo in Pop Culture

Sic Bo is wildly popular throughout the Asian countries. If you ever make it to Macau, Sic Bo is the second most popular game, only trailing Baccarat.

Sic Bo is also the name of a Belgian Band who plays very, very bad music.

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