Sic Bo Rules, Odds and Payouts
Every Sic Bo bet with its true odds and house edge, from the 2.78% big/small bets to the 18.98% specific-triple trap, and why most of the layout should be ignored.
Sic Bo is a dice game of Chinese origin, played with three dice shaken under a cover. You bet on the outcome, the dice are revealed, and fixed payouts apply. Like craps, it puts the best and worst bets in the casino on the same layout — and like craps, the whole strategy is knowing which is which.
How it plays
Three dice are shaken and revealed. The layout offers dozens of bets on the result. There are no decisions after betting — you place chips, the dice are shown, and winning bets are paid.
The 216 equally likely outcomes (6 × 6 × 6) determine every probability on the table. Everything below comes from counting them.
The bets worth making
| Bet | Wins on | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | Total 4–10 (loses on any triple) | 1:1 | 2.78% |
| Big | Total 11–17 (loses on any triple) | 1:1 | 2.78% |
| Even | Even total (loses on triples) | 1:1 | 2.78% |
| Odd | Odd total (loses on triples) | 1:1 | 2.78% |
These four are the only Sic Bo bets in the same class as a decent table game. Big and Small each cover a range that wins just under half the time — the triples are carved out to create the edge, exactly as the zero does on a roulette wheel.
The bets to avoid
| Bet | Wins on | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specific double | A chosen pair appears | 8:1 (to 10:1) | 18.52% (varies) |
| Specific triple | A chosen triple appears | 150:1 to 180:1 | ~16.2% |
| Any triple | Any triple | 24:1 to 30:1 | 13.9% (varies) |
| Three-dice total 4 or 17 | That exact total | 50:1 to 60:1 | ~15.3% |
| Total 5 or 16 | That exact total | 18:1 to 30:1 | ~13-29% |
| Total 9, 10, 11, 12 | That exact total | 6:1 to 7:1 | ~12.5% |
| Single number (one die) | Number on 1/2/3 dice | 1:1 / 2:1 / 3:1 | 7.87% |
| Two-number combination | Both numbers appear | 5:1 | 2.78%–11.1% (pay-table dependent) |
| Specific triple (worst common pay table) | That triple | 150:1 | 18.98% |
The specific triple is the marquee bet — a huge payout for guessing all three dice — and it is one of the most expensive wagers in any casino, worse than keno on some pay tables. The single number bet, which looks harmless at 7.87%, is still nearly three times the cost of big/small.
Why the totals are priced so high
A specific three-dice total like 4 can only be made a handful of ways (1-1-2 in three arrangements, so 3 of 216 = 1.39%). The payouts on these rare totals look generous — 50:1 or 60:1 — but sit well below the true odds, which is where the double-digit edge comes from. The rarer the total, the larger the gap tends to be, so the tempting long-shot totals are precisely the worst-priced.
Strategy
There is one:
Bet only Big/Small or Even/Odd. Ignore the rest of the layout.
Every other bet carries between 7.87% and 18.98%. No pattern, progression, or “due” number changes any of it — the dice are independent on every shake, and betting systems cannot convert a negative expectation into a positive one.
Played on big/small alone, Sic Bo is a 2.78% game — the same as a good field bet in craps or a double-zero-free stretch of roulette. Played across the exotic bets, it is one of the most expensive games on the floor. The layout is designed to draw you toward the second.
See also: craps odds and payouts — the same best/worst spread · house edge, every game