Sic Bo is a popular gaming game both online and in land-based casinos. It was first introduced centuries ago and is incredibly popular across the world but particularly in the East where it was founded. Once you know the rules, Sic Bo is easy and exciting to play and here at New Casino Sites, we have all the info you need to get started including our top strategies for winning at Sic Bo.
What is Sic Bo?
Sic Bo is played using three dice and is a game of chance. This game was first introduced in China and has various names in that region including Tai Sai, Dai, Siu, Hi-Lo and the Big and Small game. This game is extremely popular in the East and you will find it being played mostly at Macau Casinos.
Its popularity spread to the West when Chinese immigrants brought the game with them to the US and the beginning of the 20th century. With the rise in online gambling, you can now enjoy this game anywhere in the world and from the comfort of your own home.
How to Play Online Sic Bo?
As we mentioned before, online Sic Bo is a game of chance and so no matter what your gambling skill level is, this is a game that everyone will easily be able to learn and play.
The table in Sic Bo can appear very confusing at first and is definitely more intricate than a roulette table. Once you know the rules, you will be able to play with ease and our guide at New Casino Sites can help you get started.
The overall aim in Sic Bo to get a win is to bet correctly on specific dice outcomes. Here is a short numbered guide on what you can expect when playing Sic Bo online.
- Players can make their bets by placing chips on the areas of the table that they want to bet on
- The dealer will shake the small chest containing the three dice if it’s a live dealer Sic Bo game or the random software in the game will do this for you if it’s a digital Sic Bo version
- For every number or sum that you correctly bet on, you will win and you will lose your cash if your bets were wrong
As you can see, the game is very similar to how you would play roulette, which is also a game of chance. If you are a fan of roulette, you will be able to play online Sic Bo in no time at all.
Our Top Sic Bo Strategy Tips
When playing Sic Bo, your strategy will depend on whether you are a beginner, advanced or expert player. Putting in place a strategy is no guarantee of winning but it can help keep you focused on the game and increase your odds.
- Beginners – beginners to the world of online Sic Bo should try and opt for bets where they have the highest probability of winning and that have the lowest house edge. For this reason, a good strategy for new players to Sic Bo is to place Big and Small bets
- Advanced – If you’re at a more advanced level of Sic Bo gambling and want to try and aim for bigger wins, then you may want to try betting on different numbers. As you will see below, not all numbers have the same payouts and probability and so you should place bets on multiple numbers, taking into consideration how much risk you are willing to take
- Expert – For those who are at the top of their Sic Bo game, they may want to take a higher risk strategy. Higher risk strategies are only useful for those with larger budgets. This type of strategy would be betting on a specific triple and placing only smaller wagers to minimise losses but still make big wins from your bet if you make the right prediction
Betting Options for Sic Bo
The most important rules to know before you start playing Sic Bo online are the betting options. In this game, there are lots of different betting options for players to choose from and you can find each of the choices below.
Big and Small Bets
The first type of bet you need to know about is big and small bets. These are very common bets in the game of Sic Bo and are the bet numbers are based on the dice sum. A big bet is a bet placed on the number 11 and above up to 17, while a small bet is placed on the number 4 and above to 10. You can find the small bet section of the table in the upper left hand corner while the big bet section of the table is in the upper right hand corner.
This is one of the most common bets as there is nearly a 50% chance that you will win. The exact figure is 48.61%. With these bets, the payouts are not large as they are normally one to one but they do have the smallest house edge.
Other Sum Bets
If you don’t want to place a bet on a specific dice number or its combination then you can simply choose a specific sum to place a wager on. This is the line of numbers across the board and you can place a bet of between 4 and 17. As each sum has a different number of winning possibilities from the dice throw, the payouts and house edge changes.
- Bet 4 – 60 to 1
- Bet 5 – 30 to 1
- Bet 6 – 17 to 1
- Bet 7 – 12 to 1
- Bet 8 – 8 to 1
- Bet 9 – 6 to 1
- Bet 10 – 6 to 1
- Bet 11 – 6 to 1
- Bet 12 – 6 to 1
- Bet 13 – 18 to 1
- Bet 14 – 12 to 1
- Bet 15 – 17 to 1
- Bet 16 – 30 to 1
- Bet 17 – 60 to 1
Single Dice Bet
A single dice bet is simply placing a bet on the specific number that you think will be on the dice. This can be on 1, 2 or 3 dice and you can find this bet at the bottom of the Sic Bo board. This bet can only be placed on numbers 1 to 6, the numbers that appear on the dice and the odds are as follows:
- One Dice – 1 to 1 payout
- Two Dice – 2 to 1 payout
- Three Dice – 3 to 1 payout
Double and Triple Bets
To the left and right hand side of the Sic Bo board, you will see an area to place double and triple bets. When you place a double bet, you are betting on two dice having the same number and with a triple bet, you are betting on three dice having the same number. This is a higher risk, higher reward bet as you only have a 7.4% chance of winning but it will pay 10 to 1 if you guess correctly for a double bet and 30 to 1 for a triple bet.
Players have the option to bet on a specific set of triples but it is important to note that the odds are not as good as the double or triple bets.
Two Dice Combination Bets
The second from the bottom line on the board is where you can place two dice combination bets. There are 15 different options here and you can place a bet on the dice landing in the following combinations:
- 1 – 2
- 1 – 3
- 1 – 4
- 1 – 5
- 1 – 6
- 2 – 3
- 2 – 4
- 2 – 5
- 2 – 6
- 3 – 4
- 3 – 5
- 3 – 6
- 4 – 5
- 4 – 6
- 5 – 6
While with other bets you are betting on their sum, here, you are simply betting on the numbers that two dice land on. This can award you a payout of 5 to 1.
Top Tips to Win at Sic Bo
Unfortunately, there is no single winning strategy when it comes to playing Sic Bo as this is a casino game where you win entirely on chance. On the other hand, there are some strategies you can implement to try and improve your chances of winning. Here are some of our top tips:
- Focus on the big and small bets – Big and small bets have the best odds with the smallest house edge and so it makes sense that if you are looking to win, this is your best bet. Our top tip would be to focus predominantly on these areas of the Sic Bo table for your bets and then have some fun with other riskier wagers
- Try to limit your bets – In this casino game, players can put down multiple bets and with most online Sic Bo games, you can place as many as 16 bets at once. While this may seem like a good winning strategy, you are likely to lose more than you’ll win. Try to keep focused and analyse each of your bets before placing them
- Don’t try to predict outcomes based on the previous dice – Many gamblers get into the habit of convincing themselves that if there have been lots of smaller dice sums then some big ones must be on the way. This a myth, however, and as this is a game of chance, don’t make decisions based on the last dice sum as this will not help you in any way to predict future wins
Sic Bo FAQs
Still have questions about playing online Sic Bo? We’re answering the most popular questions below.
Jennifer Wright is an online casino and slots writer since 2010. She has an eye for detail and take pride in her in-depth analysis of new casino sites that enter the UK market. A regular at iGaming conferences and events, she is also a keen follower of industry news. In her downtime, she is an avid gamer and regularly takes part in esports tournaments. Jennifer currently resides in the north of England.
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