Sic Bo Rules – Learn How to Play Sic Bo in Under 10 Minutes

With so many games available in land-based and online casinos, you’ll never run out of entertaining options you can explore.

But, apart from the best-known games like poker, blackjack, and roulette, many other games have a lot to offer if you take the time to learn them.

One of these is certainly Sic Bo. A simple and fun game, Sic Bo is available in many casinos, even the smaller ones.

In this detailed and concise guide, we’ll help you learn everything you should know about Sic Bo in under ten minutes.

What is Sic Bo? – A Brief History of the Game

Before we go into the details of playing the Sic Bo game, let’s quickly go over its origin. With this in mind, Sic Bo (Sicbo or Tai Sai) is a game of chance originating all the way back from ancient China.

Literally translated from Chinese, Sic Bo means precious dice.

As a casino game originating in Asia, Sic Bo is most popular in Asian casinos. This primarily includes Macau venues.

As far as other parts of the world go, the game was first introduced in the US in the early 1900s by Chinese worker immigrants.

There, it quickly found its way into casinos across the country. Since the start of the 21st century, Sic Bo has also been featured in most online casinos worldwide, allowing all players to try it out.

Sicbo

Additionally, if you’re a fan of dice games, you’ll probably find it amusing that Sic Bo is just one of two dice games you can play in casinos worldwide. The other one is, of course, craps.

With tons of table games and slots, these two dice games can provide great diversity and a lot of entertainment value.

Variants of Sic Bo

Although only the classic Sic Bo variation is available in casinos, you can also play other variants with your friends. Here are the two most popular variations of Sic Bo:

Grand Hazard – Similar to Sic Bo, the English variation called Grand Hazard uses three dice. This also differentiates it from Hazard, which only has two dice in the game. The three dice are either rolled down a so-called “hazard chute” or thrown from a cup.
Chuck-a-Luck – Mostly popular in the US, this game also draws its origins from Grand Hazard. It includes three dice that are kept in a device resembling a small birdcage. To reveal the dice, the dealer rotates the cage from one end to another, so the dice land on the bottom. Because of the device used in the game, this variant is also known as “birdcage.”

How to Play Sic Bo

As a game of chance, Sic Bo is easy to figure out, and you can really learn to play it in just a few minutes. To make it more streamlined and easier to follow, we’ll divide it into steps. With that in mind, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to play Sic Bo:

Place Your Bets – Every game starts with the players placing their bets. To do this, you simply place your chips on the area of the Sic Bo table that represents your bet.
The Dealer Rolls the Three Dice – After all of the players at the table have made their bets, the dealer will roll the three dice. They will do so either by hand or using a professional electromagnetic dice roller. In any case, players aren’t allowed to touch the dice like they are in craps.
Wait for the Outcome – When the dealer has rolled the dice, and the dice come to a stop, you can see whether or not your bet is a winner. If you win, the dealer will pay you out accordingly. After that, everything starts from step one again.

As you can see from above, Sic Bo is pretty simple. There are not many things to pay attention to and the bets are very easy to place.

But, what if you wanted to play Sic Bo online? How difficult is it to find your way around the table when you’re playing alone from home?

We’re not going to lie, Sic Bo’s table layout can get very confusing if you’re a beginner trying to play online.

But, it’s not all hopeless, as many of the gameplay features stay identical to those that you’ll find when playing in a brick-and-mortar casino.

The key thing is to remember that you’re betting on specific dice outcomes. So, just focus on what outcomes on the Sic Bo table you want to bet, and you’ll have no problems.

Plus, as everything is automated when playing online, you don’t have to keep track of any dealer actions or potential mistakes. You’ll get paid automatically if you correctly predicted the outcome and lose if you guessed wrong.

The Sic Bo Table

As we’ve mentioned above, Sic Bo’s table is arguably the most complex part of the game. Due to its complicated appearance, many casino players avoid playing Sic Bo, thinking that the game is too hard to learn.

However, once you get a basic understanding of the layout and how the bets work, you’ll have no problem with your bets.

Moreover, in most land-based and online casinos worldwide, the Sic Bo table is identical.

Having said that, you’ll quickly notice that every Sic Bo table is separated into different groups, much like a craps or roulette table.

The top of the table includes the specific double and triple wagers, as well as any triple wagers. Below that, you’ll find total bets and combination bets. Additionally, the bottom of the Sic Bo includes single number bets.

How to play sic bo

Lastly, there are two distinct corners at the top of the Sic Bo table. The left corner covers the small bets (numbers from 4 to 10), and the right corner covers big bets (numbers from 11 to 17). Both bets lose if any triple appears.

Usually, only small details like colors will be changed, but the base principle of the table will remain the same.

That said, even if you notice that a casino uses a layout different from the one you’re used to, just ask the dealer, and they will always answer all of your questions.

Sic Bo Available Bets

Now that we’ve covered how to play Sic Bo and how to find your way around the Sic Bo table, let’s go a bit more into the details regarding all of the bets you can place in Sic Bo.

Some of these bets significantly differ from each other, so it’s crucial to know what each one includes and how much it pays. Here’s a closer look at all of the available Sic Bo bets:

Big Bet – This Sic Bo bet is similar to roulette called bets and offers you a 1:1 payout. You’re betting that the sum of the three dice will be between 11 and 17.
Small Bet – The same type of wager as the big bet, with the exception that you’re betting on the outcome between 4 and 10. This bet also pays out 1:1.
Any Triple – A bet in which all three dice must show the same number. Any three matching numbers bring you a 30:1 profit.
Specific Triple – Unlike the previous bet, the specific triple bet only pays if you get the three matching numbers you’ve predicted. Because of this, it pays a whopping 180:1.
Specific Double – Similar to the specific triple bet, only you must guess the two out of the three numbers that will appear on the dice. This bet pays a solid 10:1.
Total Bets – The main goal of the total bets is to predict the total sum of the three dice. The payout can vary wildly depending on the bet. For example, if you bet on a sum of 4, the payout is 60:1, while if you bet on any sum between 9 and 12, the payout is just 6:1.
Combination Bets – This type of bet involves predicting the specific numbers that will come up. Unlike the specific double bet, the numbers don’t need to be matched. It pays 5:1.
Single Number Bets – The simplest and least-paying type of Sic Bo bet. You just need to bet on a number between 1 and 6 and hope that it comes up on the next roll for a 1:1 payout. If the same number appears twice, you get paid 2:1. If it appears three times, you get paid 3:1.

Sic Bo Probabilities and House Edge for All Bets

Looking at the odds we’ve discussed above, you can see that Sic Bo can be a very rewarding game. But, apart from knowing the odds, you also need to know the winning probabilities.

Moreover, the house edge differs for each type of Sic Bo bet. To make sure we cover all of this, we’ve drafted this detailed Sic Bo probabilities and house edge table:

Type of Sic Bo Bet	House Edge	Winning Probability
Big Bet	2.78%	48.61%
Small Bet	2.78%	48.61%
Any Triple	13.89%	2.8%
Specific Triple	16.20%	0.46%
Specific Double	18.25%	7.41%
Total Bets	From 7.4% to 15.3%	Between 1.4% and 15.5%
Combination Bets	12.43%	13.9%
Single Number Bets	7.9%	34.72% for one dice, 6.94% for two dice, 0.46% for three dice

Looking at the table above, bets that generally have high odds have low probabilities and higher house edge percentages.

Moreover, we should mention that the house edge numbers should serve as general outliners. This is because these percentages can differ between various casinos and slight variations.

Best Sic Bo Tips

With everything we’ve covered above, you’ve probably realized that there aren’t many things you can do to get an advantage or ensure profit when playing Sic Bo in a casino.

Moreover, as a game of chance, there’s nothing that the casino or the player can do to ensure a win.

That said, there are certain strategies you can apply to give yourself the best winning chances in the long run and make the most of your money. Here are the four most important tips and strategies for Sic Bo.

Always Know the Table Limits

Before you even start playing in an online or land-based casino of your choice, make sure that you’re familiar with the table limits.

Table limits vary from casino to casino. Moreover, many online casinos generally offer higher Sic Bo table limits than their land-based counterparts.

Sicbo game

For example, minimum table limits can sometimes be lower than one dollar per bet. On the opposite side of the scale, maximum limits at high-roller Sic Bo games can go up to $10,000 or more.

So, with all of this in mind, it’s key to find a table that best suits you and your bankroll.

Look for the Best Odds

As you could see from the numbers we’ve shared with you throughout this page, some Sic Bo bets have better winning odds than others.

More specifically, the big and small bets are the most favorable, followed by single number bets.

If you’re primarily playing to win money and not for entertainment, you should focus on these bets. While they’re certainly not as exciting or potentially rewarding as other Sic Bo bets, they give you the best winning chances.

Don’t Spread Your Bets Too Thin

A great aspect of Sic Bo is that it allows you to place multiple bets on any betting field of your choice.

This makes it exciting and more immersive, as you can be in play for multiple payouts at the same time. More specifically, many casinos allow you to place more than a dozen bets simultaneously.

Sic bo strategies

However, it’s also important to consider how much you’ll be betting. More importantly, how much money will you lose with each missed bet.

So, even though you can place so many bets, we recommend focusing your attention on a couple of bets that provide you with the best value.

Know When to Play and When to Stop Playing

One of the most valuable skills you can master as a Sic Bo player is to know how to determine when you should play and when you should stop playing.

Ideally, you should only play when you’re in the mood to do so. Conversely, you should avoid or stop playing when you’re agitated, under the influence, or in a bad stretch.

In line with the last thing, it’s easy to get swayed by the “gambler’s fallacy.”

This is a belief that if something hasn’t happened for a while it is bound to happen soon. So, for example, if only small combinations are coming up for many rolls in a row, a big one is due to happen soon.

The gambler’s fallacy can be very dangerous and cost you a lot of money. Sic Bo is completely random, and there’s no way to predict a future outcome based on previous results.

Conclusion

As we’ve tirelessly mentioned throughout this guide, Sic Bo is a luck-based game. Unlike poker, blackjack, and some other casino games in which your success depends on your in-game decisions, Sic Bo doesn’t have such aspects.

All you can do is place your bets and hope you got your picks right.

That said, even when doing so, it’s essential to understand the odds, payouts, and winning chances of each bet. Moreover, you always need to have a general strategy to follow depending on how your session is going.

Hopefully, this detailed page on how to play sic bo has helped you learn all of this. Knowing all of the information and tips you’ve read in this guide, you’re now ready to start playing this fast-paced and exciting dice game!