Sic Bo
Sic Bo is an ancient Chinese dice game played with three dice, where players bet on the total or on specific combinations. The simple big/small bets carry a ~2.78% house edge, while specific triple bets are among the highest-edge wagers on the floor.
| Origin | China |
|---|---|
| Equipment | Three dice |
| Best Bet | Big / Small (~2.78%) |
| Worst Bet | Specific triple (~16%) |
How Sic Bo works
Three dice are shaken in a sealed container and players bet on the result before they are revealed. The most common wagers are ‘Big’ (a total of 11–17) and ‘Small’ (4–10), both of which lose on any triple. Other bets cover specific totals, specific doubles or triples, and single-number appearances, each paying odds scaled to its rarity.
Reading the odds
With three dice there are 216 equally likely combinations, which makes the true odds easy to calculate and the payouts easy to compare. The big/small and even/odd bets are the best value at about 2.78%. Bets on a specific triple pay a large 150-to-1 or more but carry a house edge around 16%, so they are high-risk entertainment rather than value plays.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best bet in Sic Bo?
Big or Small (and even/odd), at roughly a 2.78% house edge.
Are the big-payout triple bets worth it?
Only as entertainment — they carry house edges around 16%, far higher than the simple bets.
Sources
- Published Sic Bo rules
- Probability theory