There has recently been a rise in the game of Sic Bo in online casinos. If you have never heard of the game or origin before you have come to the right place as we are going to break down where the game has come from and how you play it. While it may not be as popular worldwide as roulette or blackjack yet, it’s number of fans are growing daily!
A brief explanation of the goals of Sic Bo is that it is a casino dice game, similar to Grand Hazard and Chuck-a-Luck, in which a player predicts which combinations will be rolled with three dice. Gamblers place their bets on one or more of the squares of the betting area. Sic Bo is a fast-paced game.
Origin of Sic Bo
Sic Bo is mostly played across China and the word closely resembles the translation of “Precious Dice” however, due to the many dialects and languages used across China an exact translation is not possible.
The exact date of creation of Sic Bo is not known but it is speculated to be hundreds of years old. We can estimate this by the use of a blue and white porcelain dice cup during the early Qing Dynasty in the 17th Century.
Dice games were prohibited during the Qing Dynasty and the creation of the cup was a benefit to the game as the dice remained hidden most of the time. Later the cups evolved into a wooden or stone bowl which would shield the dice from sight whilst the gamblers placed their bets.
What is Sic Bo?
Sic Bo is a game that is traditionally played with three dice at the same time all bearing the numbers 1 to 6. The aim of the game is for the player to guess the possible combination of the stones, the closer the players’ prediction to the result, the higher the chance of a profit.
With Sic Bo, you not only bet on the sum of the three dice but you can also make a bet on individual numbers, combinations and triples.
Unlike a card game, where you can usually map out a specific strategy to win, Sic Bo is more based on luck and a little knowledge and understanding of the rules of the game.
There are some Chinese players that they believe they can hear the dice falling, the most famous who claimed this was Ye Han known as “Ghost King Ye”. He discovered that after shaking the cup the dice would spin for a while making a soft but noticeable squeaking sound until they came to a stop. Due to his extraordinary hearing, he knew how the stones were going to fall by the different sounds they made. From this time on, many casinos started to use a soundproof material, like a cloth or film, for the dice to fall on to.
Explanation
UltraGambler has researched the types of payouts available, is the game fair to play at online casinos and how to play Sic Bo online.
There is always a maximum and a minimum bet, the possible winnings of this depends on what the player bets on. As with any game the easier the chance it can happen the lower the reward. The safest bet to play is on “big” or “small” but this only has a payout of 1x stake.
Similarly, the more difficult the combination is to roll, the higher the payout. For example, if a player bets on the dice landing on 3 sixes the payout would be 180x stake.
Once all bets are placed, the dice will automatically begin shuffling 3 times, the player can see what happened when the dice roll to a stop. The spaces on the game board will then light up on correspondence to the winning numbers. Everyone who has made a correct prediction will receive their winnings and the game will start again.
Betting Options & Payouts
Players can choose to place as many bets as they like on the game board. There is always the option to bet on big/small, even/odd, double, triple, any triple or on totals and combinations. For the best odds it is recommended to play small (totalling between 4-10) and big (totalling between 11 and 17).
These are the typical payouts:
| Betting Option | Payout Stats |
| Big / Small: the total number of eyes is 11 to 17 (Big) or 4 to 10 (Small) | 1:1 |
| Any single die: the number of pips on one die | |
| One good die | 1:1 |
| Two good die | 2:1 |
| Three good die | 3:1 |
| Two dice: a combination of two dice | 6:1 |
| Total sum: the total number of pips on three dice | |
| 9, 10, 11 or 12 | 6:1 |
| 8 or 13 | 8:1 |
| 7 or 14 | 12:1 |
| 6 or 15 | 18:1 |
| 5 or 12 | 30:1 |
| 4 or 17 | 60:1 |
| Double: two dice with the same number of pips | 11:1 |
| Any triple: three dice with the same number of pips | 30:1 |
| Specific triple: a bet on three times 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 | 180:1 |
* the multipliers are determined by Random Number Generation (RNG) software.
Understanding the Sic Bo Board
At first glance, the Sic Bo board looks complex and overwhelming, however, the game itself is not difficult to understand.
Let us start with the centre of the board, here you will see the numbers 4 to 17, this is the minimum and maximum possible combinations of the three dice. If you place your bet here, you have a chance of winning the “Total Sum”.
At the top left and top right of the board, you find the Small (between 4-10) and Big (between 11-17) squares. If you are familiar with playing Roulette, think of these squares as betting on a dozen or 1 to 18. The chance of the three dice falling within these is relatively high.
On the top row of the Sic Bo board, there is also the option to bet on a double number, for example, twice a 4.
At the bottom of the board are the options to place a bet on a specific number.
It may seem overwhelming but everything is explained and easy to identify, what’s more, is that for a gambler the odds are in your favour as there are numerous ways to win money.
Do’s & Dont’s of Sic Bo: At a Glance
As with any online casino, there are hard rules and soft rules to all table games and Sic Bo is no different. The hard rules are there for all players to follow to make the game fair and enjoyable. In the instance of soft rules, these are more advisable to take on board as you play Sic Bo. A lot of money can be made playing this game with caution but you can also lose a lot as well.
The following points are here to remind you to play with caution:
- Sic Bo is ideal for making smaller bets but still getting a win – take advantage of the Big/Small squares.
- Don’t always bet on the highest chance of winning as the return is minimal.
- Take advantage of FREE TRY so you can practice before you play for real money, especially if you have never played before.
- Never go beyond your means. Only play with a budget that you are comfortable with and STICK TO IT!
