Sic Bo, (originally pronounced “SEE-BO”) is an ancient Chinese dice game that’s played on a large table. It’s a game of pure chance that moves quickly. There’s no strategy or skill involved.

Check the complete guide on How to play Sic Bo.

Sic Bo is a simple dice game based on chance. All you need to do is place your chips on a bet box on the table. The dice are shaken and if the outcome of the roll matches your bet, you win. Sic Bo features a variety of possible bets, each with their own payout odds.

Breaking Down SIC BO

There are few components to Sic Bo and no skill is required to play, but the more you know about the game the easier it is to learn and understand.

The table

The Sic Bo table features a variety of dice combinations that players can bet on. Every possible bet is illustrated along with their associated payout odds, making it easy for new players to quickly pick up the game.

Three dice showing a three, a four and a six.

The dice

The game is played with three dice and players bet on the outcome of each roll.

A clear glass dome encases three dice in motion.

The shaker

Unlike craps, the Sic Bo dice are “rolled” using an electronic dice shaker.

Digital board showing six rows of 3 dice displaying past outcomes and the percentage of even and odd results which is 50-50.

The digital board

This electronic board displays the outcomes of recent rounds of play. Take this information with a grain of salt. Every roll of the dice is purely random and independent of the last.

Two dealers stand at the Sic Bo table on either side of the dice shaker.

The dealers

Each Sic Bo table has two dealers who exchange chips, monitor the bets and keep the game moving.

How to Play SIC BO in 5 easy steps

1

Set your budget. While Sic Bo is a simple game, playing is a form of gambling and you should always play smart with your money.
2

Buy your chips. To buy chips, simply place your money on the table and a dealer will exchange it for chips.
3

Place your bets. Place your chips on the squares on the table according to the combinations you think will appear on the dice. Make sure you bet an amount you’re comfortable with.
4

Check the dice. The dice shaker is activated by pushing a button on the table.
5

Collect your payout if you win. The dealers then clear the bets that don’t match and pay the ones that do. The whole process then starts all over again.

1. Set your budget

Playing Sic Bo, like all casino games is a form of gambling and it can quickly drain your funds – especially if you’re placing bets with tougher odds. Consider casino games a part of your overall entertainment budget, like money you would spend on a dinner out or a movie.

Avoid using credit and debit cards to bet with additional funds. This will help to ensure you don’t lose more than you planned.

2. Buying chips

A player exchanges cash for chips from a dealer

Like all table games at the casino, you never hand your money directly to a dealer when buying chips. To avoid any confusion, simply place your bills on the Sic Bo table and a dealer will pick them up. Similarly, a dealer will never place chips directly in your hands. Instead, he or she will place them on the table in front of you, at which point you can collect them and place your bets.

3. How to place your bets

Chips sitting in a bet box on the Sic Bo table.

Simply place wagers on the available dice combinations that are outlined on the table by placing your chips in the corresponding box. Each combination has a certain chance of being rolled, and players should use this knowledge to help them make informed bets. You can also use the payout information for each bet, which is clearly displayed on the table, to gauge the odds of each outcome. Remember, the higher the payout odds, the less likely the outcome will occur.

Tip

The lower a bet’s payout odds are, the greater your chances of winning, but remember, there’s no guarantee you’ll win.

The various Sic Bo bets

There are six main categories of bets that players can make. These are single number bets, two number combinations, three number total bets, triple bets, pair bets, big and small bets. Each bet is illustrated on the Sic Bo table.

Single Number Bets

The first row from the bottom shows the single number bets. These are bets on any of the numbers 1 through 6 coming up on the next roll of the 3 dice.

Two Number Combination Bets

The second row from the bottom has the two number combination bets. Here, you bet on the chance of two specific numbers appearing among the three dice.

Three Number Total Bets

The third row from the bottom shows the three number total bets. For these bets, players bet on the total sum of the numbers on each of the dice on the next roll.

Triple bets, Pair bets, Big bets, and Small bets

The top row has the triple and pair bets and the big and small bets.

Triple and Pair bets: You can bet on any specific set of triples (i.e. the three dice come up with the same specific three numbers), any specific set of pairs (i.e. two of the three dice show the same number), or you can bet that any triple will come up (i.e. the three dice come up with any same three numbers).
Big and small bets can be placed in the left and right corners of the table. Players can bet that the total sum of the next dice roll will be between 4 and 10 (a “small bet”) or 11 and 17 (a “big bet”).

4. Wait for the dice to land

Sic Bo is played with 3 dice encased in a shaker. This is activated by a dealer, who presses the shaker button on the table.

5. Collect your winnings

If the dice come up according to one or more bets you’ve made, a dealer will pay out your winnings. Be sure to collect them from the table before the next round starts, or you could end up placing a bet you didn’t intend to make.

Should the dice not land in your favour, a dealer will collect the losses and the whole process starts over again.

Find a casino near you open in a new window

SEE NEXT : ODDS

MY PLAYSMART TOOLS

HOW TO PLAY

The Object of the Game