Sic bo is three dice and a betting layout — no hands, no draws, no decisions after your chips are down. Each round the dealer (or RNG) rolls three dice; the layout pays whichever propositions hit. The edge runs from 2.78% on the basic bets to over 18% on the worst corners of the table, which makes sic bo a one-lesson game: learn which third of the layout to use.
How a round works
1. Place chips on any combination of the layout's bets. 2. Three dice are rolled (shaken in a sealed chamber at live tables). 3. Winning bets pay per the table below; losing chips clear.
That is the complete procedure. Sic bo's depth is entirely in the bet menu.
The bets, priced
| Bet | Wins on | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | Total 4–10, no triple | 1:1 | 2.78% |
| Big | Total 11–17, no triple | 1:1 | 2.78% |
| Odd / Even (where offered) | Total parity, no triple | 1:1 | 2.78% |
| Total 10 or 11 | Exact total | 6:1 | 12.5% |
| Total 4 or 17 | Exact total | 60:1 | 15.3% |
| Single number | Die shows your number (1–3 dice) | 1:1 / 2:1 / 3:1 | 7.87% |
| Specific double | Two dice match your number | 10:1 | 18.5% |
| Any triple | All three match (any number) | 30:1 | 13.9% |
| Specific triple | All three match your number | 180:1 | 16.2% |
Exact payouts vary slightly by studio; the edge ranking does not. Big/small/odd/even at 2.78% are the game; almost everything else is double-digit territory.
If you want the math: three dice produce 216 outcomes. Small covers 105 of them (totals 4–10 minus the three small triples): win probability 48.6% at 1:1 → edge 2.78%. A specific triple is 1/216 paid at 180:1: (181 × 1/216) − 1 = −16.2%. Every cell reduces the same way.
The triple exclusion
Big and small both lose when any triple rolls — that exclusion is their entire house edge. Triples occur 6 times in 216 rolls (2.8%); without the carve-out the even-money bets would be fair. The "any triple" bet exists to sell insurance against exactly this, at 13.9% — the table charging you twice for the same six outcomes.
Online specifics
RNG sic bo resolves instantly at low minimums. Live sic bo shakes physical dice in a sealed dome, with the multiplier variants (lightning-style random multipliers on some bets, base payouts trimmed to fund them) following the same economics as multiplier roulette: higher variance, slightly higher edge, published per game. The bet selection guide covers the practical comparison.
Bonus note: sic bo's even-money bets typically face the same reduced wagering contribution as other low-edge table games.