Sik Bo
Sik Bo 5,0/5 2961 votes
The dice game that is super fun and easy to play!
Sic Bo Online is a renowned game of chance originating from China. The Sic Bo game may be a little challenging for beginners. We have set out a few things that you need to know before placing bets on sic bo online casino games. Use our guide to explore sic bo rules, and expert sic bo. Sic Bo is also known as tai sai, dai siu, hi-lo, or big and small, the very meaning of sic bo is precious dice. While terms such as dai siu and dai sai mean “big or small”. Just like the gameplay, the sic bo casino game comes with comprehensible rules. Players have a task to come up with the possible combinations. Sic Bo, also known as Tai Sai or Big Small, is an ancient Chinese game of chance played with three dice. It is presently one of the popular casino games in Asia and it has been gradually gaining popularity among westerners too. It is easy to play and it offers many types of bet with payout as high as 195 to 1. Sic Bo (骰寶)) is a game of chance, the simple rules and gameplay make it very easy for new players to catch on. The game is based on the outcome of the roll of three dice. The pace and simplicity of SicBo have made it one of the world’s most rapidly growing casino games, and is now available in many Casinos worldwide.
Originating from China, Sic Bo is a dice game that is quickly growing in popularity. In Chinese, Sic Bo is called Tai Sai or Dai Siu, which literally means “Big Small” in English. If you have never been to Macau to see Sic Bo in action, then you have been missing out on a real cultural experience. Betting is fast and furious in Macau casinos, and the players in Asia really get into it! If anything, learn about Sic Bo to enjoy the experience of a truly popular Asian betting game.
Table Layout
The table layout is very different to Baccarat, Roulette, or any other casino game, and naturally for new comers this can be quite confusing and intimidating. There are many different betting patterns, and the table can be quite large. Often the table is covered in transparent glass or plastic, with the patterns seen through the glass. The patterns behave very much like Roulette or Craps, whereby the player is required to place their chips on the anticipated band of the outcome of the dice. After the dice are rolled and the winning band is determined, lights underneath the glass table turn on to show which bands are winning bands.
In a corner of the table, at the hand of the dealer are three dice contained in a covered glass dome. The dice are shaken and then displayed in the glass dome. The dealer enters the results of the dice into a computer programme which then lights up the winning bands on the table.
There is only one layout for all players, with standard casino chips used. The online Sic Bo table layout is exactly the same as the layout found at land casinos.
Payouts
Please note that pay outs can vary between casinos and online casinos. Knowing this, the casino edge may increase greatly in their favor. In this guide, I have used the most common payouts and casino edges.
How to play Sic Bo
There are several variations of bets that you can place to predict the result of the three dice after they have been shaken.
You can choose from big/small totals, odd/even totals, specific doubles or triples, specific totals of the spots on the dice and various number combinations.
Big Small Bets
When viewing the table layout front on, you will see that on the far left and right are betting boxes for Big and Small respectively. Placing a bet in either of these boxes is betting that the total value of the three dice is either high or low. A bet that it is high means a result that is 11 – 17. A bet that it is low means a result that is 4 – 10. On any result that the dice has rolled a triple all bets either Big or Small are lost. Totals of 3 and 18 are therefore excluded from the range, and rolls of triple 2, 3, 4 and 5 are also deemed as a loss.
These bets usually pay even money, but because the triples result in a loss the casino has an edge of just under 2.8%.
Odd Even Bets
Most table layouts will offer the betting boxes for Odd or Even. Placing a bet in either of the Odd or Even boxes is betting that the total value of the three dice will either be odd or even respectively. Again, should a triple be rolled then all bets, either odd or even are lost.
These bets usually pay even money, as with Big Small bets. And similarly, if triples arise a loss results, hence the casino edge is also just under 2.8%.
Double Bets
Split into three blocks of three, you can bet on any two dice matching their score and forming a Double. The betting outcome is therefore either a pair of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 after the dice has been shaken. The outcome of the third dice if the other two dice are a pair has no bearing on the outcome.
A winning bet in these bands normally results in a pay out of 10-1. These bets give the house a huge edge of 18.5%.
Triple Bets
Triple bets can be placed in two categories. You can either specifically bet that the outcome are triple 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. Or you can place a bet on a category which covers any triple.
A winning bet in these bands normally result in a pay out of 180-1 for specific triples or 30-1 for any triple. These pay outs may sound great, but in essence the edge to the casino is 16.2% and 13.2%, again not great odds for the player.
Dice Total Bets
In the middle of the layout are boxes which hold numbers that the value of the three dice might total. You will notice that there is no option for 3 or 18, which is covered by the Triple Bets.
4 and 17
These totals are the least unlikely and therefore the pay out is a whopping 60-1. The casino edge however is still quite high at 15.3%.
5 and 16
These totals are the second least likely and pay out 30-1. The casino edge is 13.9%.
6 and 15
The pay out is 17 -1 with the casino edge 12%.
7 and 14
The pay out is 12 -1 with the casino edge 9.7%.
8 and 13
The pay out is 8 -1 with the casino edge 9.7%.
9 and 12
The second most likely of outcomes pay out 6 – 1 with a casino edge of 7.4%.
10 and 11
The most likely of outcomes pay out 6 -1 with the casino edge of 12.5%.
Bets on Precise Number on 2 dice
On the table layout you will see boxes that appear to look like dominoes. These bets ask you to predict the outcome of two out of the three dice. All combinations except doubles can a bet be placed on. The pay out is 6-1 with a casino edge of 2.78%.
Bets on a number appearing on any three dice
At the bottom of the layout of the table, you can place a bet on a number appearing on any three of the dice. I.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6. If the number you have selected appears more than once, then the pay out is even higher.
- If your number appears once, the pay out is 1 – 1.
- If your number appears twice, the pay out is 2 -1.
- And if your number appears three times, the pay out is 3 -1.
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Sic Bo Strategy
Sic Bo is a game of luck, and therefore simply put the best strategy is to play the table layout with bets on boxes with the best odds for the player. Similar to Craps and Roulette AVOID the betting bands that have poor casino edges.
Therefore the best bet to play at Sic Bo is Big/Small or Odd/Even. These boxes offer the best odds. Even though the pay out is only 1 -1 the house edge is a mere 2.8%. So this will stretch your bank roll.
Having said that, that doesn’t mean you can’t place a bet on any other betting boxes. You can, but be aware of the pay out ratios as described in the previous sections.
Managing your betting amounts can be performed in two ways: either keep to the minimum wager at all times, or if the betting limit allows a small enough wager use the Martingale strategy. The Martingale strategy will allow you to earn a consistent profit if there is sufficient bank roll.
Summary
Sic Bo, Big Small or Dai Siu is a great game to learn and play. It’s very simple which makes the game fun and entertaining. If you are looking to stretch your bank roll, then keep to placing bets on Big/Small or Odd/Even and keep bets small. Remember, this game is a game of luck not of skill. Don’t over analyse the previous outcomes, as each new game has the same odds of outcome as the previous game.
Sic Bo has a number of alternative names including tai sai, dai siu, big and small and hi-lo. It is played with 3 dice and players bet on the outcome of a single roll of these. Sic Bo is most popular in Asia and is played in most casinos in Macau. Many online sites also offer this table game.
In our Sic Bo article, we will explain the following. You may click on any of the links below to bring you to that point within the article.
How To Play Sic Bo
Players need to place a bet on certain areas of the table, an example of which is shown below. The Dealer is responsible for throwing the dice, unlike other dice games such as Craps where Players themselves roll. The dice are normally contained within a small chest in land-based casinos, the Dealer shakes this chest and opens it to reveal the outcome.
Example of the layout of a Sic Bo table
It is easy to see why Sic Bo and Craps are compared, but Sic Bo is strictly a game of chance as every roll of the dice results in a win or loss of the bet as opposed to Craps which has some bets that need certain rolls before the outcome is known therefore adding an element of skill and strategy to it.
Sic Bo Betting Options
| Type | Description of Bet | Probability | Odds* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big | The Dice total will be between 11 and 17 inc, with the exception of a ‘Triple’ | 48.6% | 1 to 1 |
| Small | The Dice total will be between 4 and 10 inc, with the exception of a ‘Triple’ | 48.6% | 1 to 1 |
| Odd | The Dice total will be an Odd number, with the exception of a ‘Triple’ | 48.6% | 1 to 1 |
| Even | The Dice total will be an Even number, with the exception of a ‘Triple’ | 48.6% | 1 to 1 |
| Specific ‘Triple’s/’All’s | The number chosen will appear on all 3 Dice | 0.46% | 180 to 1 |
| Specific ‘Double’s | The number chosen will appear on 2 OR 3 of the Dice | 7.41% | 10 to 1 |
| Any ‘Triple’/’All’ | All 3 Dice will be of equal value | 2.8% | 30 to 1 |
| Three Dice Total | 4 or 17 | 1.4% | 60 to 1 |
| 5 or 16 | 2.8% | 30 to 1 | |
| 6 or 15 | 4.6% | 18 to 1 | |
| 7 or 14 | 6.9% | 12 to 1 | |
| 8 or 13 | 9.7% | 8 to 1 | |
| 9 or 12 | 11.6% | 7 to 1 | |
| 10 or 11 | 12.5% | 6 to 1 | |
| Dice Combinations | 2 of the Dice will show the Specific Combination, such as a2 and a 3 | 13.9% | 6 to 1 |
| Single Dice Bet | The Specific number will appear on 1, 2 or 3 Dice | 1: 34.72% 2: 6.94% 3: 0.46% | 1: 1 to 1 2: 2 to 1 3: 3 to 1 |
| 4 Number Combination | Any 3 numbers of the Specific Combination will appear, such as 6, 5, 3 and 2 | 11.1% | 7 to 1 |
| 3 Single Number Combination | The Dice will have the Specific Combination of 3 different numbers | 2.8% | 30 to 1 |
| Specific Single/Double Combo | 2 of the Dice will show a Specific Double and the 3rd will be a different number | 1.4% | 50 to 1 |
*The odds can differ from casino to casino both online and offline, the above is just a guideline. *The most common bets tend to be Big and Small.
Sic Bo Rules
The rules of Sic Bo are fairly straightforward, although there are a lot of different betting options that are outlined below.
The object of the game is to guess the total of 3 dice rolled by the Dealer. You can choose the amount you wish to bet for each roll and every bet is settled after one roll, unlike another popular dice game found in casinos, Craps, where some bets can last for several rolls. Like Craps though, you can make several bets for each roll of the dies.
Sic Bo Tips
Shop around
Like many casino games, not all casinos are equal when it comes to payout amounts. If you want to play Sic Bo, we recommend you check a few of our recommended sites to ensure you play at the casino where you get the highest payout for the particular kind of bet that you wish to place.
Understand the game
Although Sic Bo isn’t a hard game to learn, it can take a long time to master as there are so many different types of bets available to you. You can make several different bets for each roll and vary the amount you bet, so it is imperative that you learn the types of bets and most importantly the ‘house edge’ – the amount the casino themselves expect to make on each bet.
In Sic Bo, this varies depending on each bet, from around 2.78% for the Small and Big bets up to 16% for some others. The smaller the ‘house edge’, the better for you, the player.
Vary your bets
Although the Small and Big bets carry the best odds for the player, it can get a bit monotonous playing the same bets on each roll.
A good way to increase the excitement is to mix up your bets a bit, there are lots of different bets you can place in Sic Bo with different requirements, odds, and payouts. Doing this will make your experience more fun, which is an important part of playing at any casino.
Practice for free until you get the hang of Sic Bo
Many of our recommended casinos allow you to try games for free chips before investing your own money. This is a great way to learn a new game, especially one like Sic Bo that has many different options before you start playing with your own money.
Beginners Strategy
As Sic Bo is very much a game of chance, it is hard to get a Strategy in place which will enhance the chance of you winning by reducing the House Edge. Having said that, there are always a few do’s and don’ts with any Casino game, and Sic Bo is no different…
Patience is key! As Sic Bo relies on pure luck, the defensive approach of betting on the higher odds but lower return style bets is a good place to start. This tends to allow you to keep your bankroll for longer and maximise your chance of walking away with a profit. This is why the Small and Big bet types are the favourite ones for most Sic Bo players.
With these Bet types, the odds are 1 to 1 so it maximises your chances of winning even though betting on a single number can get you a higher return.
As the odds increase for less likely bets, the House Edge increases too meaning you are less likely to walk away with a profit in the short term unless your luck is in.
Combination Bets
These Bet types are in 2 specific numbers to be rolled. There is a small advantage of around 2.75% on these types of bets, and although this is a relatively small amount, it is worth considering to include it in your strategy. For best results, you should use these bets often and if you manage to master it, you can see a consistent payout which other casino games and Sic Bo bet types can’t offer.
Advanced Strategy
If you have mastered the above and are looking for ways to win at higher odds, try these options. Please remember that as Sic Bo is a game of pure luck, there is no guaranteed way to make money from it and the players will always need luck on their side to make a profit.
The numbers that give you the best possible chance tend to be 9 and 12 as they have a payout closest to their probability – payouts of 6 to 1 and odds against of 15 to 2.
We recommend you place a bet on your chosen total and then combine it with 3 double beds. You should always choose doubles that have a chance of coming in if your chosen total loses to cover all eventualities.
For example, a double 1 won’t come in if your chosen total is 9 and double 6 won’t come in if your total is 12.
If you bet on 9, try 3 units on 9 as the total and 2 units on double 1, 5 and 6. You will get back 21 units if 9 wins from a 9 unit bet and 22 units if any of the doubles win.
Similarly, if you prefer to bet on 12, place a 3 unit bet on 12 being the total and 2 unit bets on double 1, 2 and 6.
The unit should be something affordable to you and within your specific budget.
Conclusion
Sic Bo - Video Results
All casino games carry an element of luck, none more so than Sic Bo. For that reason, it isn’t the most popular game in the casino, but if you want to try something different which has a variety of bets and outcomes, give Sic Bo a try.
More information on playing at casinos on the internet can be found in our FAQ section
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