Wheel and Dice Games
How to Play Sic Bo
A three-dice game with more than a dozen bets, whose house edge runs from 2.78% to above 30%.
Sic bo is a dice game of Chinese origin played with three dice inside a closed shaker. Players place chips on the boxes printed across the table, the shaker is agitated, and every bet is settled according to the three numbers shown. No further decisions follow once a bet is down.
A sic bo table offers more bet types than almost any other casino game, and the house edge differs enormously between them. Big or Small leaves 2.78%, while some double bets exceed thirty percent. This guide lists every bet along with its probability and payout.
The Table and the Equipment
Three standard six-sided dice produce 216 ordered combinations. The table surface carries a box for every bet type together with its payout, and a light panel illuminates each winning box once the dice are revealed.
- The shaker. A closed container holding three dice, shaken by an electric device or by the dealer.
- Betting boxes. Big and Small along the outer edge, specific totals through the middle, and single, double and triple bets on the inner rows.
- The light panel. A display that lights every winning box at once, including bets that win simultaneously.
- The payout board. Printed odds that differ between casinos, most notably on totals of 5, 9, 12 and 16.
The Bets with the Lowest House Edge
The four bets below carry the smallest house edge on the sic bo table and are the usual choice for players who want long sessions.
| Bet | Winning condition | Payout | Chance of winning | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | Total of 4 to 10 without a triple | 1:1 | 48.61% | 2.78% |
| Big | Total of 11 to 17 without a triple | 1:1 | 48.61% | 2.78% |
| Odd | An odd total without a triple | 1:1 | 48.61% | 2.78% |
| Even | An even total without a triple | 1:1 | 48.61% | 2.78% |
How a Round of Sic Bo Is Played
A single round of Sic Bo follows the sequence below. The same sequence applies at a physical table and at a live dealer table streamed to a screen.
- Read the payout boardPayouts for totals and doubles differ between casinos. The board is printed on the table surface and determines the house edge that will be carried.
- Buy chipsPlace cash on the table. The dealer counts it and passes back chips of equal value.
- Place chips on the betting boxesA single round accepts more than one bet. Big and Small sit on the outer edge, the total boxes through the middle of the table.
- Betting closesThe dealer announces no more bets before the shaker is agitated. No chip may be added or moved after that call.
- The dice are shaken and revealedThe three dice are tumbled inside the closed shaker, and the lid is then lifted so that all three faces are visible.
- The panel lights the winning boxesEvery qualifying box lights at once, including total bets and number bets that win on the same throw.
- Bets are settledThe dealer clears the losing chips and pays the winning boxes according to the payout board.
Betting on the Total of the Dice
A total bet backs the sum of the three dice, from 4 to 17. The odds differ sharply because the totals are not equally likely: 10 and 11 each have 27 combinations, while 4 and 17 have only three.
| Total | Combinations | Probability | Common payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or 17 | 3 | 1.39% | 60:1 | 15.28% |
| 5 or 16 | 6 | 2.78% | 30:1 | 13.89% |
| 6 or 15 | 10 | 4.63% | 17:1 | 16.67% |
| 7 or 14 | 15 | 6.94% | 12:1 | 9.72% |
| 8 or 13 | 21 | 9.72% | 8:1 | 12.50% |
| 9 or 12 | 25 | 11.57% | 6:1 | 18.98% |
| 10 or 11 | 27 | 12.50% | 6:1 | 12.50% |
Payouts on total bets vary between casinos. A board paying 7:1 on totals of 9 and 12 cuts the house edge on those bets from 18.98% to 7.41%, which is why the payout board deserves a reading before any chips go down.
Single, Double and Triple Bets
These bets back specific dice faces rather than the sum. The payouts are large and so is the house edge.
| Bet | Winning condition | Common payout | Probability | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single number | The chosen number appears | 1:1, 2:1 or 3:1 by number of appearances | 42.13% at least once | 7.87% |
| Combination | Two chosen different numbers both appear | 5:1 | 13.89% | 16.67% |
| Specific double | Two dice show the chosen number | 8:1 | 7.41% | 33.33% |
| Specific double | Two dice show the chosen number | 10:1 | 7.41% | 18.52% |
| Any triple | All three dice match, any number | 24:1 | 2.78% | 30.56% |
| Any triple | All three dice match, any number | 30:1 | 2.78% | 13.89% |
| Specific triple | All three dice show the chosen number | 150:1 | 0.46% | 30.09% |
| Specific triple | All three dice show the chosen number | 180:1 | 0.46% | 16.20% |
The single number bet pays according to how often the chosen face appears: 1:1 for one, 2:1 for two and 3:1 for three. That structure leaves a house edge of 7.87%, roughly three times the edge on Big or Small.
Choosing Bets by House Edge
Because the house edge at a sic bo table varies more than tenfold between bets, the choice of bet determines almost the whole cost of playing. The order below runs from cheapest upward.
- Big, Small, Odd or Even at a house edge of 2.78%.
- Single number at 7.87%.
- Total of 7 or 14 at 9.72% where the payout is 12:1.
- Totals of 8, 13, 10 or 11 at 12.50%.
- Avoid specific doubles paying 8:1 and any triple paying 24:1, whose house edge exceeds thirty percent.
A comparison with other games is on the house edge and odds page.
Common Errors at the Sic Bo Table
Dice keep no record of previous results. Boards showing a run of Big or Small are often used to predict the next throw, yet the chance of each remains 48.61% every time.
The second common error is covering many boxes at once to catch every possibility. Covering several boxes does raise the chance that one of them wins, but the house edge carried is the sum of all the bets placed, so the cost of each round rises rather than falls.
Sic Bo Terminology
The terms below are the ones heard most often at the Sic Bo table. A wider list is available in the casino glossary.
- Big
- A bet on a total of 11 to 17, which loses when all three dice match.
- Small
- A bet on a total of 4 to 10, which loses when all three dice match.
- Triple
- The result in which all three dice show the same number.
- Combination
- A bet on two different dice faces, both of which must appear.
- Shaker
- The closed container in which the three dice are tumbled before the result is shown.
- Single number
- A bet on one dice face, paid according to how many times it appears.
Sic Bo FAQ
Which sic bo bet is the best one to make?
Big, Small, Odd and Even carry the lowest house edge at 2.78%. Every other bet on the table is more expensive, from 7.87% on a single number to above thirty percent on a specific double paying 8:1.
Why do Big and Small lose on a triple?
That exception is the source of the operator's margin. Without it, Big and Small would each win exactly half the time and there would be no house edge at all. A triple appears in 2.78% of throws.
Are totals of 10 and 11 easier to hit?
Yes. Each has 27 of the 216 possible combinations, or 12.50%, while 4 and 17 have only three, or 1.39%. The payout table already reflects that difference.
Does covering many boxes improve the odds?
The chance that one box wins rises, but the house edge carried is the sum of every bet placed, so the expected cost per round goes up rather than down.
Is sic bo the same game as tai sai or dai siu?
Yes. Tai sai, dai siu and hi lo are other names for the same three-dice game with comparable rules. The only differences lie in the payout tables used by each casino.
How fast is a round of sic bo?
A round takes about thirty to forty-five seconds, or eighty to one hundred and twenty rounds an hour. That pace needs to be allowed for when sizing a session budget.