Sic Bo is a dice game that, as hinted at by the sound of the name, originated in Asia. "Sic Bo" literally translates to "Small Big", in reference to what is believed as the best bet you can make in this casino game.
Truth be told, Sic Bo offers some of the most attractive bets you can make when casino gambling. There is a broad range of different types of bets you can place, which pay off based on a house's fixed payout table.
The Object of the Game
Sic Bo is a game of chance. The object of the game is to wager on a specific outcome of each roll of three dice. Easily the first outcome that comes to mind is the sum total of three numbers displayed on three dice. This is just one of several types of bets you can post. You can wager on total values, a specific number on a single die, a combination of numbers, a range of numbers, and many more. If you wagered correctly, you win a certain percentage of your bet. How much you win depends on the payout table. Generally stated, the less likely it is that your wagered outcome will happen, the higher the amount you are paid.
Sic Bo is a fairly simple and straightforward game of chance. For this reason, a good Sic Bo strategy is to go for bets with the best odds. Specifically, small bets and big bets have a reasonable house edge of 3%, which are some of the best bets you can place in a land-based or Internet Casino.
The sic bo payout table is based on a scale of probabilities of defined winning outcomes. As a general rule, the lower the probability of an outcome, the higher the house edge, the higher the payout.
For example, there are only three ways you can hit a total value of 4 on three dice (2/1/1, 1/2/1, 1/1/2) whereas there are ten ways you can hit a total value of 6 (4/1/1, 3/2/1, 3/1/2, 2/3/1, 2/2/2, 2/1/3, 1/4/1, 1/3/2, 1/2/3, 1/1/4). So the house rewards you more for betting on a total of 4 (60:1 payout) than on a total of 6 (14:1 payout).
Dice Face / One of a Kind. It is a bet that a specific number from 1 through 6 will show on any one, any two, or all three dice faces.
Payout if number comes up once - 1:1 (even money)
Payout if number comes up twice - 2:1 (bet is doubled)
Payout if number comes up thrice - 3:1 (bet is tripled)
House edge - 8%
Two Faces / Duo. It is a wager that a combination of two specific numbers from 1 through 6 will appear on any two or all three dice.
Payout - 5:1
House edge - 17%
Totals. It is a bet on a specific sum total of all three dice, from 4 through 17.
| Total | Payout (House Odds) | House Edge |
| 4 or 17 | 60:1 | 29.1% |
| 5 or 16 | 18:1 | 47.2% |
| 6 or 15 | 14:1 | 30.5% |
| 7 or 14 | 12:1 | 9.7% |
| 8 or 13 | 8:1 | 12.5% |
| 9 or 12 | 6:1 | 18.9% |
| 10 or 11 | 6:1 | 12.5% |
Small. It is a wager that the sum total of all three dice will fall within the "small" range, which is between 4 and 10. These are the best bets in sic bo. Three of a kind loses. Hardways 6 and 9 provide the house advantage.
Payout - 1:1 (even money)
House edge - 3%
Big. It is a wager that the sum total of all three dice will fall within the "big" range, which is between 11 and 17. These are the best bets in sic bo. Three of a kind loses. Hardways 12 and 15 provide the house advantage.
Payout - 1:1 (even money)
House edge - 3%
Triple / Three of a Kind. It is a bet that a specific number from 1 through 6 will show on all three dice.
Payout - 150:1 (huge but against terrible odds of 215:1)
House edge - 30%
Any Triple / Any Three of a Kind. It is a bet that all three dice will display the same number, regardless of what number that is.
Payout - 24:1 (against true odds of 30:1)
House edge - 30%
Pair / Two of a Kind. It is a bet that a specific number from 1 through 6 will show on any two of the three dice. These are some of the worst bets in sic bo. Approach with caution unless feeling extremely lucky.
Payout - 8:1 (against true odds of 12:1)
House edge - 33%
Any Pair / Any Two of a Kind. It is a bet that any two of the three dice will display the same number, regardless of what number that is. You are not betting on a certain combination but on a certain characteristic of the roll. These are some of the worst bets in sic bo. Approach with caution unless feeling extremely lucky.
Payout - 8:1 (against true odds of 12:1)
House edge - 33%
Related Pages: Sic Bo Game Books | Sic Bo Game Sites | Sic Bo Lessons
