Sic Bo (pronounced "SEE-BO") is a casino game that originated in ancient China and is played with three dice. Sic Bo goes by a number of other names, such as "Tai Sai", "Dai Siu", "Big & Small" or "Hi-Lo". The literal meaning of Sic Bo is "precious dice" or "dice pair", while Dai Siu and Dai Sai mean "big small".
The game was originally introduced in the United States in the early 20th century as a casino carnival game. Sic Bo has grown in popularity over the years and has recently gained notoriety in one of the largest casino markets in the world, Macau. The game is also played in the Philippines, United States, and the United Kingdom.
Sic Bo is one of the few casino games that involve dice; the other popular dice game being Craps. Unlike Craps, however, Sic Bo is a game of chance. This makes it nearly impossible to develop any sort of strategy. Every roll of the dice in Sic Bo will result in a win or a loss on any wager, while Craps wagers require certain rolls before they become winning or losing wagers.
Despite the inability to gain a clear advantage when playing Sic Bo, it remains a fairly popular casino game in both casinos across the world and on the internet. Part of its popularity stems from the fact that it is extremely easy to learn. Once you are able to understand the Sic Bo table and the available wagers, then Sic Bo can be a fun and exciting game.
Sic Bo uses three dice, which are picked up by the Dealer in a small chest. The Dealer then uses the chest to shake the dice, until he or she is ready to reveal the combination of the three dice. Sic Bo uses a table that displays a variety of dice combinations and values upon which Players may wager. Parts of the board are very similar to the Hops Board on a Craps table. Players may wager on any combination of the available dice combinations present on the table. Each combination has a certain probability of being rolled and Players should use this knowledge to help make educated decisions when placing their wagers. If the Dealer rolls a combination upon which you wagered, then you're a winner!
To place a wager, simply tap the desired space on the board. To remove an existing wager, press and hold for a moment. The maximum amount that can be wagered during a single round is currently $100; this may change at some point in time.
Once all desired wagers have been placed, the Player will press the Roll button and play will begin. Unlike Craps, Sic Bo is a single roll game. This means that after the dice have been rolled, wins will be paid and losses will be removed.
The sum of the dice falls between 11 and 17. As mentioned before this is one of the most popular wagers when playing Sic Bo. This wager excludes any triples; for example three 1s, three 2s, etc. This wager has a 48.6% probability and pays 1:1
The sum of the dice falls between 4 and 10. Like the Big, this wager also excludes triples and has a 48.6% probability of winning, with a 1:1 payout
A specific number appears on all three dice. This wager has only a 0.46% chance of winning and pays 180:1
A specific number appears on at least two of the three dice. This wager has a 7.41% chance of winning and pays 10:1
This wager wins if the three dice land on the same number. This wager has a 2.8% chance of winning and pays 30:1
This wager is made with the expectation that the sum of the three dice will total a value between 4 and 17. The odds and payout for these wagers vary based on the values upon which you wager
This wager wins if two of the dice show a specific combination of two numbers, such as a 2 and a 5. This wager has a 13.9% probability of winning and pays 5:1
A single dice wager is placed on a specific number from 1-6 to appear on one, two, or all three dice. Wagering on a number to appear once has a 34.72% probability of winning, twice a 6.94% probability, and three times a 0.46% probability. These wagers pay 1:1, 2:2, and 3:3 respectively
After the round has ended, if the Player presses the Roll button, the same wagers will be placed and dice will be rolled.
If the Player does not want to repeat the last set of wagers, play will resume after new wagers have been made and the Roll button has been pressed.