Sic Bo

Home › Games › Sic Bo

The game is familiar to craps since it’s a dice game. Players bet on the outcome of a roll of a dice. Of course, it differs from craps in its table layout and rules, so it shouldn’t be mistaken for it.

Sic Bo is one of the recent arrivals to the European and American gambling market. It has been officially legalized in UK casinos since 2002. It was wildly popular in Asia for decades before it. Thanks to the fast-paced nature of the game and the promise of solid payouts, Sic Bo is quickly gaining attention in Europe as well.

What are the Rules of Sic Bo?

Don’t be confused by the layout of the table. It looks quite complex. But Sic Bo is actually a pretty simple game to play once you get the hang of it. Traditionally, it is played with three dice which are shaken in a cup or basket before being rolled. In Asia, the dice were covered with a white bowl and shaken on a porcelain plate. After the shake the result was revealed.

Of course, since coming to European and American casinos, things have changed a lot. Now the process is automated, with a machine shaking the cup before ‘feeding’ the results into a computer. The computer will light up the winning fields/areas. It’s a pretty pleasant thing to see, with the lit areas being the main attraction for players.

The essentials of the game, as we already mentioned, are the three dice and the Sic Bo table. Just like in Keno, players bet on the outcome of the roll. It can be a single winning number, two specific numbers or a combination of numbers as well.

Of course, the Sic Bo table isn’t limited to these bets only. There are many side-bets with attractive payouts players love to wager on as well.

Play For Free

These Online Casinos Offer Sic Bo:

More Live Casino Games:

The Sic Bo Table

The first thing you’ll notice at a Sic Bo table is that it’s quite big. It’s filled with different fields and bets. It may look pretty advanced to newcomers, but it’s really not that complicated. All the bets are available for you to wager on, with the payout being based on probability. The bets themselves are quite easy to understand. As well since you’re only betting on single or a combination of numbers.

Online Sic Bo

Just like all the casino games, Sic Bo made the jump to the internet as soon online gambling was around. Almost every online casino wanted to have the game. The best thing about online Sic Bo is that there are many variations. Such as Grand Hazard or Chuck-a-Luck which bring even more excitement to the table. Of course, it’s far easier to play Sic Bo in an online casino. Everything you want is at your fingertips.

There are also live dealer Sic Bo games which should satisfy those who aren’t too keen on playing virtual games.

Types of Sic Bo Bets

As we already said, in the exciting game of Sic Bo you can place a bet on the totals, single numbers, a combination of numbers, small or big numbers and everything in between.

Total

Betting on the total in Sic Bo means predicting the number that will appear on the three dice, which ranges from 4 to 17. The payout is indicated on the betting squares and varies from number to number. A total of 4 is far less probable, so the payout is higher (60:1), while a total of 10 or 11 has a payout of 6:1.

Single

Betting on a certain single number to appear on any of the dices is another popular bet in Sic Bo which has a nice payout. You will get a payout 1:1 if the number turns up on one dice; 2:1 if it turns up on two dices, and 12:1 if it turns up on all three dices.

Double

Betting on a Double in Sic Bo means predicting if two specific numbers will turn up on the dice. Let’s say you’re betting on two 5s to turn up on the dices – your bet will win if the dices show 5, 9, 5 for example. You can bet on any number between 1 and 6 and the payout is a handsome 10:1.

Triple

The Triple bet is highly popular among Sic Bo players as it has the highest payout. Of course, it’s also the hardest to predict. Correctly predicting that a specific number turns up on all three dices is pretty hard, which is why the payout on any triple is a whopping 30:1.

However, if you manage to correctly predict a specific triple, the payout is an incredible 180:1, which is almost unbelievable, just like the chances of it actually happening (216:1).

If you’re new to Sic Bo, we wouldn’t recommend betting on Triples, but high-rollers prefer it over single or double bets.

Combination

The Combination bet in Sic Bo is pretty self-explanatory – you’re placing a wager on a combination of numbers to turn up on the dice. Regardless of the combination you’re betting on, the payout for this bet is 6:1.

Small and Big

The Small and Big bet is Sic Bo’s bread and butter. Players can either place a wager on small (4-10) or Big (11-17) numbers to turn up on the dice. Both are even money bets which means they payout 1:1 since you have a high chance of getting them right. In a way, this bet is similar to betting on Red or Black in roulette.

When Did Sic Bo Originate?

Just like Keno, Sic Bo is an ancient Chinese game where it was originally known as Dai Siu or Tai Sai. In the Philippines, the game is still called Hi-Lo or Big and Small, and you can find it in other Asian countries under its original name Dai Siu as well. In Europe, however, the game is known as Sic Bo since its introduction to the gambling world at the beginning of the XX century.

Chinese Workers Played Sic Bo

The game reached America when Chinese workers came to build the First Transcontinental Railroad in the middle of the XIX century. The continuing influx of Chinese immigrants into the country made Keno and Sic Bo all the more popular and at the beginning of the XX century, the games were already being played regularly in American casinos. At that time, the game was not really popular with the American population, but that would soon change.

With a new wave of Chinese immigrants arriving in America between 1920 and 1940, the game spread among Americans as well, being a hit at carnivals and fairs. Back in Asia, Sic Bo was one of the biggest casino games, standing right next to baccarat tables and roulette wheels in Macau casinos.

Also Nice to Read

News