Sic Bo: The Dice Game That Captivates Asia

Sic Bo is a time-honored dice game that is famous throughout Asia and beyond, captivating players with its great array of betting options and fast-paced gameplay. It is one of those classic Chinese games with roots dating back to the ancient Chinese dynasties, and yet, Sic Bo is anything but old fashioned or dated.

This game has been reimagined in many forms and variants, and even has a large digital presence in the world of online casino gaming. It may not be as prevalent internationally as its various similar counterparts, such as Craps. But most gamblers will have heard of Sic Bo, and possibly even tried it out for themselves. In Asia, Sic Bo is a casino staple, and you can find it offered in casinos from the Philippines to Macau. It also has a strong base in the US, where Sic Bo was introduced by Chinese immigrants in the early 20th century.

But why is Sic Bo so popular, and is it really worth the hype?

History of Sic Bo

Sic Bo goes by many names in Asia, including tai sai, dai siu, or hi-lo, but the name Sic Bo is arguably the most popular. The name translates to precious dice in Chinese. Ancient China was the birthplace of many fascinating and compelling games – many of which had a gambling element about them. They played games with dice, dominoes, and later playing cards (or playing “tiles”). Games such as Mahjong, Pai Gow, Ma Diao and Tien Gow were all developed in Ancient China. And gambling was never too far away from the action.

Card games and dominoes often had an element of control about them. Players could develop skills and use strategy to influence the outcome in their favor. But dice games, like Sic Bo, were completely different. These games were rooted in chance, and unless a player manipulated the dice throw, the game had no skill element to it. It is thought that in the early days, dice were not invented, so players used animal bones or rocks to play a primitive form of Sic Bo.

Martial arts masters played Sic Bo as a means of relaxation, concentration, and discipline. But the game quickly found an audience with the public, appealing to all from the Chinese elite to the masses. Nowadays, the game is played with three dice, which are locked inside a glass container. The container is shook by the dealer, thus eliminating any possibility of anyone tampering with the throw.

How to Play Sic Bo

Sic Bo uses three dice, with players betting on the outcome of the throw. It uses standard 6-faced dice, meaning there are a total 216 possibilities, though only 56 if you just look at outcomes. You can bet on the results of one, two, or all three dice – but you are never betting on a specific dice. If you place a bet for a die to land on 1, you just need one of the three to land on 1.

There are 7 main types of bets, each with its own selection of wagers, level of risk and payouts. Please note, some games of Sic Bo may not have the full selection of wagers, they may only have the first four. Some have all 7 types, but you need to check this in the rules or on the paytable.

Also, if you want to check the probabilities of winning each bet, be sure to check out our Sic Bo Odds Calculator. To check the payouts, head on to our Sic Bo Payout Calculator.

Big Bet/Small Bet – 1:1

These are high/low wagers, in which you can bet on the following:

• Big Bet – (total is 11 to 17)
• Small Bet – (total is 4 to 10)

The wager does not include triples and has a payout of 1:1. The odds of winning these bets are 48.61%, and they have the lowest house edge at just 2.78%.

Odds/Evens – 1:1

This is a bet on the total outcome of the roll to be either an odd number or even. It has the same odds as the Big Bet and Small Bet. It pays out 1:1 and the odds of winning either wager are 48.61%. Triples are not counted.

Specific Triples/Any Triple – 180:1 / 30:1

There are two kinds of triples bets. The first is Specific Triples, in which you are betting on all three numbers to land on your chosen number. The next is Any Triples, in which you are betting on the three dice to all land on any number.

• Specific Triples – all dice land on the same number. You choose the number
• Any Triple – all dice land on the same number. Any number

The chances of winning a Specific Triple bet is 0.46%, and if you bet on Any Triple, your chances are 2.78%. The payout is huge for these bets, but they hide the fact that the house has a calculated edge of around 33.3%. In that regard, the odds are really not what they could be.

Total Sum Bets – Varies

The payouts vary depending on the total sum you are betting on. But basically, each bet in this category covers 2 numbers – from 4 up to 17. Here are all the total sum bets:

• 4 or 17 – Odds of 60:1, probability of winning is 1.39%
• 5 or 16 – Odds of 30:1, probability of winning is 2.78%
• 6 of 15 – Odds of 18:1, probability of winning is 4.17%
• 7 or 14 – Odds of 12:1, probability of winning is 6.94%
• 8 or 13 – Odds of 8:1, probability of winning is 9.72%
• 9 or 12 – Odds of 7:1, probability of winning is 11.57%
• 10 or 11 – Odds of 6:1, probability of winning is 12.5%

Any Doubles/Specific Doubles*

Bet on two dice to show the same number. It is the same as the triples. You can either choose any double, or predict two dice to land on the number of your choice.

The payouts range from 8:1 to 10:1.

Dice Combinations*

This is a bet on two of the three dice. You bet on a pair of numbers that you think will land in the next throw.

The odds are 6:1 and there is a 13.89% chance of winning this bet.

Single Number Bets*

This is a bet on a single number to appear on either 1, 2 or all 3 dice. The payouts range depending on how many numbers you want to bet on.

• 1 single number bet – odds of 1:1 with a 34.72% chance of winning
• 2 single number bet – odds of 2:1 with a 6.94% chance of winning
• 3 single number bet – odds of 3:1 with a 0.46% chance of winning

Sic Bo vs Craps Main Differences

Craps is the European “classic casino game” that most closely resembles Sic Bo. There are many differences between the two, the most notable of which is that Craps only uses 2 dice and not 3. Also, in Craps there are multiple rolls in a round. After the Come Out Roll, if the point is established, the dice are thrown again in the Point Phase.

In Sic Bo,  there is just 1 phase in which you bet. All the wagers are placed before the dice roll, and afterwards they will either win or lose. In Craps, there are also wagering phases between the rolls within one round. During the Point Phase, you can place a variety of wagers.

Sic Bo is arguably simpler and the more “beginner friendly” of the two. But both games can be enjoyed by novices and experts alike. There are enough wagers in Sic Bo to test even the most seasoned veteran. And by having a wide palette of wagers, it opens up the possibility to all kinds of betting systems and strategies.

Playing Sic Bo Online or at Landbased Casinos

There are plenty of casinos across America that offer Sic Bo. Since its introduction, the game has found its way into some of the largest casinos, from casino resorts on the Vegas Strip to the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The games may be located in Asian Games zones on the casino floor, or designated areas. In Macau and other popular Asian casinos, you will find no such special area for Sic Bo. There are countless tables with chances to bet on the outcome of a dice. And it has entertained all players, from casual gamers to high rollers with big money to spend.

Sic Bo is also available at online casinos and is quite a hot genre at Asian-themed casinos. There are a few software providers who make live dealer versions of these games. These use real dice, tables and dealers to throw the dice and take your bets. Or, you can choose to pick a digitalized version of Sic Bo. These table games don’t use real dice, but use Random Number Generators to make fully randomized outcomes. That way, the games are completely fair to play, and produce the same random and impossible to predict results as you would get if you threw the dice yourself.

An Asian Classic That is Spreading Across the World

In 2002, the UK picked up on the popularity of Sic Bo and started offering it in their casinos. In the world of online gaming, Sic Bo has found a new audience to entertain. From its humble beginnings as a dice game practised among martial arts masters, Sic Bo is now really a game for the world to play. Behind a seemingly simple surface, there lies a complex array of betting opportunities and thus strategies for gamers to build. Of course, just like any other casino game, you need to be careful with your Sic Bo wagers.

The game can be equally rewarding and devastating to players. So make a bankroll when you play Sic Bo, and don’t buy into winning streaks or other typical gambler’s biases. The payout structure is designed to give the house an edge, and the maths points towards gamblers’ ruin. But for a fast-paced dice game with a plethora of bets and grand payouts to offer – the appeal of Sic Bo is well founded.