Live Sic Bo is a no-nonsense, fast-paced table game that will certainly appeal to fans of both roulette and craps, or anyone who is interested in changing things up from their usual game selection.
Live Sic Bo, pronounced as See Bo, literally translates to ‘Dice Pair’. However, the game of Sic Bo is actually enjoyed with three dice. Sic Bo is also known as Dai Siu (Big Small) and Tai Sai (Lucky Dice).
There are also several English games that have been designed on the same principles as Sic Bo, including ‘Grand Hazard‘ and another game known as ‘Chuck-A-Luck‘.
So, if you are familiar with these types of English variations, you’re on a great path to understand Sic Bo.
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The Sic Bo Board
When I first came across Sic Bo while walking through a land-based casino, I found the board to be quite complex. Back then, I thought the game rules would be just as complicated as the layout. Luckily, the rules of the game are extremely simple, and it’s just the layout that can be quite daunting at first.
The game starts with three dice being thrown in a somewhat small cage by the dealer, and players simply need to wager on the outcome of the throw. For instance, the total value of the three dice, two specific numbers that appear, any single number that appears, or a certain combination of numbers. Every bet placed will have a different payout that will greatly depend on the probability, and players can place as many wagers as they like, making it much like betting in roulette. I am going to take you through each of the betting options to give you a better understanding of how it works.
The Bets in Sic Bo
Total
The simplest bet you can make in a game of Sic Bo is by wagering on the total of the three dice. This can range from 4 up to 17. Note that 3 and 18 will be covered by Triple 6 and Triple 1. The payout on each of these wagers will differ and will be based on the probability of every score occurring. The probability of each payout is clearly displayed on the betting squares below each number. The payouts are typically as follows:
- 4 or 17 pays 60 to 1
- 5 or 16 pays 30 to 1
- 6 or 15 pays 17 to 1
- 7 or 14 pays 12 to 1
- 8 or 13 pays 8 to 1
- 9, 10, 11, or 12 pays 6 to 1
Small and Big
Here you can bet on the three dice total either being Small (4 to 10), or Big (11 to 17). The payout is 1 to 1 on Small and Big, making it an even chance bet, much like Black / Red in Roulette. This type of bet is also the basis of my lower risk bet strategy that I will explain later. It’s worth mentioning that Small and Big both lose if a triple appears. This basically explains why a 3 and 18 will not be included on these bets. The triple rule functions in a similar way to the zero found in roulette, making the 50/50 bets slightly less than an even chance, and therefore keeping the house edge in the favour of the casino.
Combination
This type of bet can be made on any specific two numbers displayed on the three dice. For instance, you can wager on a combination of 6 and 4 which will provide a win should the three dice display 3, 4, or 6. The payout for this type of bet is 6 to 1, regardless of the combination bet you place. The combination bet will form part of my medium risk bet strategy.
Single
This type of bet is made on a specific number that will be displayed on any of the three dice, ranging from 1 through to 6. The payout for a single bet will depend on a number of times the chosen number is displayed on the three dice. If your chosen number is displayed only once, the payout will be 1 to 1. If your chosen number is displayed twice, the payout will be 2 to 1, and if your chosen number is displayed on all three dice, the payout will be 12 to 1.
Double
This type of bet is made on two specific numbers being displayed on the three dice. For instance, if you bet on double 2, you will win if the three dice display 2, 2, 6. You can wager on any double ranging from 1 through to 6 and the payout will be 10 to 1.
Triple
This type of bet is made when you think all three dice will display the same specific number. You can either wager that any specific triple ranging from 1 through to 6 will occur or that any triple will occur that is non-specific. The payout on any triple bet will pay 30 to 1, and the payout on a specific triple bet will pay an incredible 180 to 1.
Sic Bo Strategies
Sic Bo provides a range of strategies that will suit any type of player, including even money for inexperienced players studying the game for the very first time, decent returns for those who feel a bit more adventurous, and enormous combination bets aimed towards high rollers. I have categorized each betting strategy according to low risk for beginners, medium risk for intermediate players, and high risk for high rollers.
Low-risk strategy for beginners
Inexperienced or novice players should utilise the wagers containing the smallest edge. The best edge in the game is 2.78% and this edge is found with Big, Small, and Combination bets. The Big and Small bets are the closest you will come to even chances in a game of Sic Bo. The combination bet also impresses with a low house edge of 2.77% but is usually overlooked when searching for a strategy to beat the game. This betting strategy is perfect for novice players who want to limit their losses while still getting used to the game. I kept it rather simple so you can approach the table with confidence.
Livedealersicbo
Medium risk for intermediate players
If you wish to rake in some bigger wins, but also wish to take out some insurance, the best advice I can give you is to combine bets to cover several different results. The winning strategy is to combine the wagers so that you cover four different chances of walking away a winner on every spin. Although you might lose four times your wager amount, the returns when you win will make up for this.
For instance, you can place 3 units on 9 and another 2 units on doubles, including 1, 5, and 6. This will be a total wager of 9 units and could potentially return 24 units when you win on 9 or 24 units when you win on the doubles. Another example you can use is to place 3 units on 12 and another 2 units on double including 1, 2, and 6. This will be a total wager of 9 units and could potentially return 24 units when you win on 12 or 24 units when you win on the doubles.
High Risk for high rollers
This high roller strategy for Sic Bo is aimed towards winning multiple wagers from only one throw of the dice. For example, a wager on 8 can also include a double 1, 2, or 3. This is how you should wager your money.
For instance, you can place 3 units on 8 and another 2 units on the doubles, including 1, 2, and 3. Further extend your bet by placing 2 units on a combination of 2 and 3 to basically cover the dice being 2, 3, and 3. This will be a total bet of 11 units and the possible return will be 27 units when you win on 8 along with 22 units when a double win occurs, and another 12 units if a combination bet wins.
Another example is betting on 13. You can place 3 units on 13 and another 2 units on the doubles, including 4, 5 and 6. Further extend your bet by placing 2 units on a combination of 5 and 4 to basically cover the dice being 4, 4, and 4. This is also a bet of 11 units and the possible return will be 27 units when you win on 13 along with 22 units when a double is displayed, and another 12 units if a combination bet wins.
Best Live Sic Bo Casinos
Although Sic Bo is an extremely popular game, especially in the Asian market, it’s not available at many Live Casinos I’ve personally reviewed. Luckily, Bet365 and Betfair, both using Playtech as their software provider, streams Sic Bo live from their dealing rooms situated in Asia.
