Forget about roulette and craps. True casino aficionados know that the best games to play are those that are far less mainstream. Sic Bo, also known as Tai Sai, Dai Siu and Hi-Lo, is a dice game with origins in Ancient China. You may not have heard of it, but it’s extremely popular in casinos throughout Asia. In Macau, for example, Sic Bo is one of the most popular casino games on offer. Sic Bo was originally introduced to the United States by Chinese immigrants in the early 20th century, and, while the game has struggled to garner mainstream attention, you’ll still be able to find it in most American casinos.
Sic Bo – All You Need to Know to Play Sic Bo Online in India. Sic Bo is a dice game, and together with Craps, one of only two casino games played with dice. Having originated from China, Sic Bo has retained its exciting features for centuries, remaining relevant to this very day. How to Play Sic Bo Online. Sic Bo is a three-dice casino game that plays more or less like Craps or Chuck-a-Luck, but with a couple of adjustments. Learning to play this game takes an average reader a few minutes to understand the rules and layout, with its associated payoffs.
Sic Bo joins craps as the two casino games that involve the use of dice. However, unlike craps, which encourages strategy by requiring certain rolls before awarding wins on most wagers, Sic Bo is strictly a game of chance, meaning that every roll of the dice results in a win or loss on all available bets. To put things simply, there’s no way to predict the outcome of the dice and, as a result, winning at Sic Bo is all about taking the bets with the lowest house edge and hoping for a little bit of luck. Fortunately, Sic Bo does feature a few bets with a house edge of just 2.78 percent, making it competitive with some of the most popular casino titles. If you’re looking to try your hand at the game but aren’t sure where to start, go for either the big or small bets, or the odd or even bets. All four offer the exact same chances to players.
How Sic Bo Works
Craps famously features two dice, but Sic Bo kicks it up a notch by including three dice. Each round, all three dice will be rolled and the results will decide whether you win or lose. If you choose the small bet, for instance, wins are paid out on totals between four and 10, excluding three of a kind. The big bet pays out on totals between 11 and 17, excluding three of a kind. In both cases, the probability of winning is 48.61 percent, and the payout is one to one. Odd and even wagers are sometimes available, most commonly in Macau. Like you’d expect, these wagers pay out on odd and even totals, also excluding three of a kind.
If you’re feeling lucky, Sic Bo offers a variety of other wagers, though none can compete with the 50/50 bets in terms of house edge. One example of such wagers is four or 17. Both bets focus on the total of all three dice. If the total is four or 17, the player wins. The probability of one of these numbers showing up is just 1.39 percent. House edge is a little more difficult to predict, because different casinos offer different payouts. In Macau, you can expect a payout of 50 to one when betting on a total of four or 17. This payout features a house edge of 29.17 percent. In Atlantic City, players get a better payout of 60 to one. This change drops the house edge to 15.29 percent. While it’s still a far cry from the big and small bets, everyone likes to mix things up from time to time.
Less Probable Bets
Less Probable Bets
If a probability of 1.39 percent is too much, Sic Bo has you covered. Perhaps the most famous Sic Bo bet, the triple is reminiscent of the board game Yahtzee. To win, you’ll need the dice to repeat themselves. If all three dice show the number that you choose, you’ll net a huge payout. In Macau, typical payouts for a triple amount to 150 to one. This features an enormous house edge of 30.09 percent. In Atlantic City, payouts are closer to the 180 to one range, once again dropping the house edge significantly, this time to 16.2 percent.
The triple bet is also available for any set of three. In this case, any triple will net you a big win. In Macau, payouts for this bet are 24 to one, for a house edge of 30.56 percent. Atlantic City offer 30 to one payouts for a house edge of 13.89 percent. There are plenty of options to test out when you play Sic Bo. Go in with the knowledge that the best possible wagers are the simplest, but don’t be afraid to spread your Sic Bo wings and find out what all the fuss is about.
Different Odds in Different Places
Different Odds in Different Places
Like we mentioned earlier, Sic Bo is extremely popular in Macau. It’s estimated to be the second most common casino game, trailing only baccarat. As a result, odds for the game are almost universally worse when playing in the Asian gambling destination. Atlantic City offers notably better odds than Macau. Australia offers notably better odds than Atlantic City. Depending on where you play, your results may vary. Remember to check out the payouts before throwing your money on the table.
If you’ve been on the hunt for a fresh casino game that’s open to new players and requires minimal strategy, Sic Bo could be the perfect choice. Take it for a spin at CoolCat Casino from the comforts of home before taking your game to Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Playing online offers a convenient opportunity to familiarize yourself with the rules and wagers before stepping into the public eye.
CoolCat Casino is a favorite amongst online gamblers, because we offer top quality games, attentive customer support and some of the best promotions in the business. Take the three dice of ancient China for a roll, and learn the ropes of a game that many Western gamblers never take the time to enjoy. Remember, there’s no reason to read too much into patterns. Much like slots, each round is completely independent from the last, so your outcome will always depend on a bit of luck. Bet smart, and hope for the best. You could be a winner!
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Sic Bo is an ancient Chinese casino game that uses three dice to determine the outcome. Its exact origins are unknown, but it does have many variants and is one of the most popular games in Macau. The name’s literal translation in Chinese means “precious dice”. It also goes by other names that are mainly of Chinese origin. Tai Sai and Dai Sui are just to name a few. In English it is often referred to as Hi-Lo or Big and Small.
While being a mainstay in most Asian casinos and culture, it made its way to the Americas in the early 20th century by way of Chinese immigrants. The game can also be found in casinos throughout the world, but will almost always have variations. Most of these variations refer to the odds of specific bets being paid.
Interestingly, the game was illegal in the United Kingdom for some time. It wasn’t until 2002 that it was legalized under British law. Originally, many games of unequal chance were not allowed in casinos in the U.K. However, this law has since been amended and now includes Sic-Bo along with various other casino games to be played in the United Kingdom.
Since Sic Bo is mostly played by Asians, the game can be found in the Asian betting games section in most casinos outside of Asia. Some of your major casinos in the states will have a spot on the main floor it, but if you can’t find it, it’s most likely in with the Asian betting games section.
The game itself is based on three dice that are thrown by a dealer at the table. The table will have all betting options laid and may vary, depending on where you play. The main concept and bets will all be there, the differences being placement of said bets and odds in which they are paid out. No one knows quite sure why the payouts vary, but one can guess that the casino may be greedy by paying lower odds on the same bet at a different casino. This is just my own speculation and has no solid basis or facts by which to go off of.
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Betting Basics and Payouts
When you first approach a Sic Bo, it may look like hieroglyphics, but in reality it’s quite simple to decipher. The table layout (see below)will likely have pictures of dice, a bunch of other numbers and maybe some random Chinese Dragon or writings. The bets will also have how much it pays out directly underneath it in most cases.
The game gets started by all players making their bets. Once all bets are placed, the dealer will throw the dice and depending on how these dice land, will determine who wins. There are about 50 or so bets that can be placed on a single throw of the dice. While this may be overwhelming, all are quite easy to understand.
Unlike Craps where you have hidden bets that aren’t laid out on the table, Sic-Bo has every available bet in plain view that will clearly mark how the bet is won. For example a picture of 2 die with a 2 and a 4 will mean if 2 of the die are a 2 and the other a 4, this bet would win. Pretty easy!
Mind you that’s just one example of a bet that can be placed. Let’s start discussing all the available betting options and their payouts. The payouts described below are found in the majority of casinos, but as stated earlier, may vary.
This article will try to be as accurate as possible, but with so many variations on payouts, it’s difficult to know them all and be 100% perfect. Just another disclaimer to cover myself as I don’t want someone thinking we are providing false information.
Many of these bets will “even money” payouts, which means they will pay 1-1 odds, but in actuality have a slightly less than 50% chance of winning. This is where the house obtains its edge, but are still some better bets to make. Also, many of the bets while different in name will be grouped into the same category. Many bets will have the same odds and payout, thus making different only by name and how they are achieved.
Three of a Kind: Betting on three of a kind is making a bet the three dice will all have the same number. For example: A throw that lands 3-3-3, is 3 of a kind. This bet has the highest payout as it is the most difficult to hit.
There 2 types of triple bets you can make. This one is betting on a specific set of three numbers. See below for the other type of triples bet.
Its payout is 150-1 in Macau, and in Atlantic City Casinos 180-1., but there are actually 216 ways to make three of a kind. This gives the house a very large edge and is probably one of the worse bets you can make.
Any Triples: Much like the above, this bet is on the dice being all the same number. However, with the any triples bet will win if any of the 6 numbers appear on all 3 dice.
This bet pays with odds of between 24 and 30-1. This makes the house edge between 14 to 30%.
Specific Doubles: This bet is used to bet on 2 of the same number appearing on 2 of the 3 dice. You can bet on any number you wish, but it has to be a specific number.
This bet pays with odds between 8 and 11-1. The house edge for this bet is between 33 to 11%.
Three Dice Total: This bet has 7 options. The three dice total must be between 5 and 17 and has varying payouts based on which total is rolled.
- 4 and 17: Between 62 and 50-1 odds. House edge is between 29 to 15%.
- 5 and 16: Between 18 and 31-1 odds. House edge is between 47 to 11%
- 6 and 15: Between 14 and 18-1 odds. House edge is between 30 to 12%
- 7 and 14: All payouts are 12-1. No Variations that I am aware of. House edge is 10%
- 8 and 13: All payouts are 8-1. House edge is 12%
- 9 and 12: Between 6 and 7-1 odds. House edge is between 19 to 7%.
- 10 and 11: All payouts are 6-1. House edge is 12.5%
Specific combinations: you can wager on 2 of the dice having 2 separate but specific numbers. Example: One dice has a 3 and the other has a 4. The third dice will have no effect on this wager.
Payouts for this bet are between 6 and 5-1. House edge is between 16 to 13%.
Single Dice: This bet is wagering on a specific number appearing on 1, 2 or all of the dice. Payouts will vary depending on how many dice the number is on.
- 1 Dice: 1-1 odds
- 2 Dice: 2-1 odds
- All Three: 3-1 odds (Some Australian casinos have payouts of 12-1.)
Big: The total of the dice will be between 11 and 17. Any triple rolled will negate this bet and make it a loss.
All casinos payout at 1-1 odds, and has a house edge of 2.8%.
Small: The total of all three dice being between 4 and 10. Again, any triples rolled will negate this bet and make it a loss.
All casinos pay odds of 1-1 and have a house edge of 2.8%
Odd: The total of all dice will equal an odd number. Any triples rolled will make this bet a loss.
All casinos pay with odds of 1-1 and have a house edge of 2.8%
Even: The total of all dice equal an even number. Once again, any triples rolled make this bet a loss.
All casinos pay at odds of 1-1 and have a house edge of 2.8%.
Four Number Combos: Pick 4 numbers, and if 3 of the 4 appear on all three dice, this bet wins. For example:
- 6-5-3-2
- All bets pay at 7-1 and has a house edge of 11%
Specific Double and Single Combo: Two dice will have a specific double and the other a specific single number. Example:
Sic Bo Macau Casino Games Full
- Double 2s and a single 1.
- This bet pays at 50 or 60-1 and has a house edge of 15 to 29%.
The last bets may not be found in all casinos. Macau especially does not have either of these options available.
Basic Strategy
Now that we have all of the available bets and their odds, it’s time to learn a little strategy to make your playing experience a little more enjoyable.
It’s obvious to see that some of these bets are outright absurd. A bet that pays 150-1 may look enticing, but since you only have a 216 in 1 chance of making this bet win, you are getting some of the worse odds in a casino game. Stay away from these high payout bets and stick to the even money bets such as Big/Small and Odd/Even.
Sic Bo Macau Casino Games
Since some of these bets are considered even money bets, you can use specific betting strategies that work well with even money odds. Some of the most common are the: Martingale, D’ Alembert and the Oscars Grind. You can read all about these and more in our betting strategies section to learn how they work and how to use them.
Other great Sic Bo resources include:
Wizard of Odds – Link to one of the most influential casino games portals in the world, especially for Sic Bo.
OnlineSicbo.org – Dedicated Sic Bo portal and included strategy and other “how to” tutorials.