• +26 Casino Reviews
  • 100% Verified
  • +28 Games Reviews

How To Play Sic Bo | Rules, Bet Types & Tips

  • Written By Kevin Parker
  • Edited
  • Reading 9 minutes

Sic Bo is a Chinese word for a pair of dice, previous dice, or jewel dice. This refers to a casino game where the players bet on the outcome the dice roll. The Sic Bo game is fairly simple and dates back to ancient China. Though over the centuries it slowly spread across the entire globe.

These days, it is a staple offering at both online and land-based casinos all around the world.

Its popularity mainly stems from the fact that is not only very easy to learn but also because it is a super-exciting and fast-paced game of chance.

There are no complex skills or strategies needed to get by when playing Sic Bo. It is purely a game of chance.

The Basics of a Sic Bo Game

If you have never played Sic Bo before this guide will help you get started.

Image of a Sic Bo Dice Shaker/Cage
Image 1 | Example of a Dice Cage/Shaker

The game itself is very easy to learn and below I explain the basics. Once you have gotten used to the basics we will move on to the objective of the game. From there you are ready to play!

Below, I have listed out the components that make up a sic bo game:

The Dice

Even though the name translates to a pair of dice, it actually is played with three.

Dice Shaker

Instead of having the dealer roll the dice, in Sic Bo that is done using an electronic dice shaker or Cage. See image 1 for an example of a dice shaker.

The Table & Table Layout

This is the space on which you will be playing the game on. It features a wide variety of dice combinations that you will be betting on. You can check out image 2 for an example of the common table layout.

Image of Sic Bo Table Layout
Image 2 | Sic Bo Table Layout

Futhermore, all the bets and payout odds are highlighted on the table. No more needing to remember every single odd.

The Digital Board

In modern casinos (which is almost all of the existing ones) this electronic board is used to display the outcomes of recent rounds of a Sic Bo game.

This is purely for aesthetics and to add a bit of flair to the game. There is no need to use this information to determine your bets. Its purely for your viewing pleasure.

The Dealer

They certainly do count as a component of the game since you cannot play a game of Sic Bo without dealers.

Every Sic Bo table will have two dealers who are responsible for exchanging chips, monitoring bets, and ensuring that the game keeps moving.

You will find all of the above when playing a Sic Bo game.

The Objective When Playing Sic Bo

Now that you have familiarised yourself with all of the essential components of the game it is time to know what your objective is.

Now, as we mentioned earlier, Sic Bo is a very simple dice game that is all about luck or chance.

Playing the game will simply involve placing your chips on one of the bet boxes on the table. If the outcome of the game matches the bet that you place, you will win. It really is that simple.

Breaking Down the Gameplay

The objective of the game detailed above pretty much sums what it is all about. However, if you still need more information to help you grasp the concept of Sic Bo, I have got you covered.

Below is an overview of the gameplay in some very simple steps:

A step by step guide to playing sic bo
How do you play a game of Sic Bo?

Step-by-Step of Playing Sic Bo

  1. Buying chips to bet with

    First, you will need to buy some chips. To do so you will hand your money to the dealer who will then exchange it for chips.

    Needless to say, it is important to ensure that you handle your money very carefully since like all other games of chance, Sic Bo does not guarantee any wins.

    You do not want to end up losing more than you can afford to.

  2. Place your bets on the table

    Once you have the chips, the next step is to place your bets which you can do by simply placing your chips on the squares on the Sic Bo table.

    Choose the squares that denote the combinations that you believe will be the outcome of the game.

  3. Dealer rolls the dice with a dice shaker or cage

    With the bets having been placed, the dice check is activated with the push of a button. If you are lucky to land a win, your dealer will payout your winnings.

  4. Outcome of the dice rolls determines if you win or lose

    In case the combination that is landed by the dice does not match what you bet on, the dealer will clear those and all other bets that do not match.

The game will start over again after step 4 has been completed.

Remember that you can also ask your dealer for more information. They are always happy to help.

Types of Sic Bo Bets

Sic Bo allows players to bet on as many combinations as they may wish to. There are therefore several kinds of bets that you can place at the Sic Bo tables.

A few of the most popular types of bets you can place include:

Single Number Bet

These are the bets placed on any of the numbers 1 to 6 that could turn up on the next roll of any of the 3 dice.

The payout odds for this kind of bet will depend on how many of the 3 dice come up with your number. If it comes up on 1 of them you get paid 1 to 1. If it turns up twice or thrice you will get paid 2 to 1 and 3 to 1 respectively.

Sic Bo Single Number Bets
Single Number Bets – 1 number on any of the 3 dice

Double Number Bet

As its title suggests, this is a bet that 2 specific numbers will come up on any of the 3 dice.

Sic Bo Game double number bets
Double Number Bets are on 2 specific numbers on the 3 dice

Triple Bets

You can bet any either a specific triple or any triple in this case.

If you bet on a specific triple you win only if all 3 dice come up with the number you specified.

If you bet on any Triple you will win if the number you predicted comes up on any of the 3 dice.

Triple Number Bets Sic Bo
Triple Number Bets – two other are spefic triples, inner is any triple.

Total Bets

This is the kind where players place bets on a number they believe will be the total of the 3 dice. Total bets range from 4 to 17 – this is because 3 and 18 are covered by the Triple 1 and the Triple 6 bets.

Total Number Bets Sic Bo
Total Number Bets are adding up all 3 dice

Odd Bet

Here the players bet on the total score of the 3 dice coming up as an odd number, besides any triple.

Even Bet

The players bet on the total score of the game turning out to be an even number, besides any triple.

Small Bets

Here, the players bet on the total sum of the 3 dice in a roll being between 4 and 10. The bet is lost in case all 3 dice come with the same number.

Small Bet Sic Bo Game
Small Bets – any total up to 10 on all 3 dice

Big Bets

The players bet on the total sum of the 3 dice in a roll being between 11 and 17. Just like the small bets, big bets are lost if the 3 dice all come up with the same number.

Big Bets Sic Bo Casino Game
Big Bets – any total up from 11 – 17 on all 3 dice

Dice Combination

The player bets on the outcome of two of the dice being a combination of two specific numbers.

Combination Bets Sic B0
Combination Bets are two specific numbers on the 3 dice

Three-Number Combination

The players win if a combination of three numbers that they selected appears on the outcome of the three dice.

Four-Number Combination

The player gets to place bets on a combination of four numbers and to win, at least three of these numbers have to appear on the outcome of the 3 dice.

There are lots of other ways to place your bets when playing Sic Bo most of which you will learn when you actually begin playing the game.

Despite its simplicity, this game has so much to offer its fans and so long as you are willing to try out responsibly, you will definitely have a lot of fun with it.

Tips and Tricks for a Sic Bo Game

As mentioned earlier, Sic Bo is pure a luck-based game which means that there is no strategy that could guarantee you a win at the tables.

That said, the only way of enjoying the game is by being level-headed and being mindful about the decisions that you make especially when it comes to how you set your budget before playing.

In essence, the best we can offer you are a few tips and tricks to help you keep you in the game for longer.

First, it is important to know when to stop playing. As fun as the game may be, if you are risking more money than you are willing to lose, you should probably take a break and return later once you have cooled off.

Sic Bo is pure a luck-based game which means there is no guaranteed win

One other thing that you should definitely keep in mind is that you should definitely avoid falling for the temptation of place bets on the outcomes with the highest payouts which usually have the lowest odds.

Not only are these types of bets capable of significantly draining your bankroll but they could also cost you all of your other winnings.

In essence, the best way to go is to sit back and enjoy it without putting too much of your bankroll at risk. This way you stand a better chance of landing the more reasonable 1 to 1 payout and you will be able to play for much longer.

If you are still wondering if Sic Bo is worth giving a shot then the answer is yes. It is an extremely enjoyable game that will have you sitting at the edge of your seat and crossing your fingers in excitement.

If you want to try it out for yourself then I have a page for Sic Bo online casinos here.

Kevin was raised on sports since a young teen and following a (fortunate) injury pursued new hobbies in table games such as Blackjack and Poker. Since 2009 Kevin has been writing for casino sites for various big names in the industry and CasinoSites.us is but one of his latest passion projects.