Sic Bo is a dice game from China, and its name means "precious dice". The dealer shakes three dice in a covered shaker, you bet on what the dice will show, and the result is revealed when the cover comes off. There are no decisions after you bet, so it is easy to learn — but the bets on the table range from fair to very expensive, and knowing the difference is the whole skill.
Three dice can land in 216 different ways (6 × 6 × 6). Every probability in this guide comes from counting those 216 results, which is why the maths below holds on any fair table.
These are the most popular bets. Small wins if the three dice add up to 4–10; Big wins if they add up to 11–17. Both pay 1:1. The catch is triples: if all three dice show the same number, Big and Small both lose, even when the total is in range. That rule is the house edge — about 2.78%, which makes Big and Small the cheapest bets on the board. Odd and Even, where offered, work the same way and have the same edge.
You can bet on the exact total of the three dice, from 4 to 17. Totals near the middle are much more likely than totals at the edges, so they pay less. This is how many of the 216 results give each total:
Payouts for totals differ from studio to studio — for example, 4 and 17 often pay 50:1 or 60:1 — and the house edge on total bets is usually well above Big or Small. Check the payout board at your table and compare it with the chances above.
Pick a number from 1 to 6. You win 1:1 if it appears on one die, 2:1 if it appears on two dice and 3:1 if it appears on all three. With those payouts the house edge is about 7.9%. Some tables pay more when the number appears on all three dice, which lowers the edge a little.
You put $10 on Big and $5 on the number 4. The dice land 4, 4 and 6. The total is 14, so Big wins and you get your $10 back plus $10. The number 4 appears on two dice, so that bet pays 2:1 — your $5 back plus $10. If the dice had landed 4, 4 and 4 instead, the total of 12 would normally count as Big, but because it is a triple the Big bet loses; your number bet, however, would pay 3:1.
Sic Bo sits alongside baccarat, roulette and Dragon Tiger on our live casino page, where each studio sets its own tables and limits. If you prefer a card game with a similarly low edge on the main bets, read how to play baccarat.
That is the standard house rule in Sic Bo. Triples are 6 of the 216 possible results, and losing on them is what gives the casino its edge of about 2.78% on Big and Small.
In terms of house edge, Big and Small (and Odd or Even where offered) are the cheapest bets on the table. No bet has an edge in the player's favour.
Any triple appears in 6 of 216 results — about 2.8% of rounds, or roughly once every 36 rounds on average. A specific triple, such as three 6s, is 1 in 216.
Yes. Big and Small are almost always 1:1, but totals, triples and doubles can pay different amounts depending on the studio. Always check the payout board at your table.
No. Every roll is independent and every bet has a house edge. What you can control is which bets you choose, how much you stake and when you stop.
18+ only. Gamble responsibly.