Sic Bo History

Tai Sai or Dai Siu are two other names for the game Sic Bo. The name of the game will depend on where you are playing it. In Asia you will find all three names used depending on the country you are in. The English translation for these words mean big and small or hi-lo. It is a very popular game in Asia, but until recently it was not considered to be that big of a deal. It has been supposed that the game craps which is played with two dice rather than the three of Sic Bo is the European version of the game. North America didn't see Sic Bo until the 1900's, and it was fairly late in that period. Those from China that decided to immigrate to the US brought the game with them. In several of the North American Casinos you are able to play this game.

As we mentioned already, Sic Bo has three dice that you either place in a basket or cup to shake them up before the roll. If you have ever played Yatzee it is a kin to that idea for rolling the dice. Usually in a casino they are shaken mechanically. Online the computer simulates the roll. The table for land casinos generally lights up as the dice are displayed, offering a bit of fun to the game.

There are several colors on the table in Sic Bo to show the bet or bets that you can make. You must decide on what the outcome of the three dice will be according to the rules of the game. It may not be a high pay game, but it does offer you are lot of entertainment. It is also a slower moving game in which you take the time to take among friends and enjoy the day.

You can place several types of bets such as the single number bet. This is when you state one die will have a specific number between 1 and 6 come up. There are bets in which you bet on all three dice and their outcome. In this bet you could say the total of the three dice will be above 11 through 17. You could also state that all three dice will roll out the same number such as three 4's. The big and small bet are the most handy for winning despite the even money odds. The house advantage differs for the dice bets. For a triple, which is when you guess the outcome of all three dice, the house advantage is very high against your winning.

Sic Bo is a game of chance. This means you will not find a strategy that will offer you the win every time. Most strategies tell you to stick with the better odds of the big and small bet so that you win more often.

Sic Bo Rules

Dice and tables are a part of Sic Bo, much like the game Craps. You will have a table in which there are bets earmarked for you to make your wager. You must place a chip on the table in the area you wish to bet before the dealer spins the dice. The dice will be let out and the winnings shown.

In this game you are trying to predict the dice. You can predict one die or all three dice in a variety of ways that will be explained. You can also place more than one bet if you would like.

You have 8 bets to place that are listed below.

Single Number Bets

On the table you will see an area with six bets that you can make. This is the single bet area. In this area you are betting that a number on one die will be between 1 and 6; it is a specific number that you are pulling for. In this bet you get a 1 to 1 payout.

In this area if two dice have the number you specified you can earn a payout of 2 to 1.

You can also bet for a 3 to 1 payout if all three dice have the same number appear. Usually you are unable to get the winnings for the specific triple if you didn't designate that bet. In other words, just because the three dice are the same, doesn't mean you placed the correct bet. Just betting on one number restricts you from the specified triple, but not the regular triple. We will look at the specific triple further on.

Two Number Combinations

In this area you are betting that two dice will have the combination you specified rather than just one dice. So you could say that one die will have the number 4 and a second die would be a number 6. It the dice are 1, 4, 6 then you win the bet. The payout is 6 to 1.

Three Number Totals

In Sic Bo you can also bet on all three dice in a couple of different ways. The usual bets in this case are the small or big bet. The payouts will differ for the three combination bet you choose.

The small bet is when you say the total of the three dice will between 4 and 10. If you have a 3, which is possible, that would be a loss on this bet. On this bet you can earn 1 to 1.

For the big bet you are saying that the dice total will be between 11 and 17. If you roll an 18 you lose. The payout is 1 to 1.
If the dice rolls out a specific pair in this bet you would lose the wager, as that is a different option all together.

Triple and Pair Bets

In Sic Bo you have Triple bets that you can place. In this case you are going to state that all three dice will have the same number. For example the number on the dice could be 3, so all dice need to have 3's showing on the roll, which is a specific triple. You can also have an odd or even triple. The odd triple is stating that all dice will have odd numbers, but you don't specify a certain number. Here are some examples: 3, 5, 6 or 3, 3, 5 or 5, 6, 5. Each die is an odd number, but you didn't state that would be the combination.

The payout is below:

If you had a specific triple then you get 150 to 1.

If you guessed odd or even and won then you get 25 to 1.

Sic Bo Strategy

Games are often hard to create strategies for when you are relying on elements out of your control. Sic Bo offers bets on the roll of dice. The rolling of these dice is completely random and can't be predicted; therefore it is almost impossible to come up with a specific strategy that allows you to win against the house. Some have tried to come up with strategies, but there really isn't anything you can do when you don't have enough control. If you want to win more often than not, to come away with some at least a little extra cash then you need to pay attention to the bets you make.

The small and big bets are the least risky of the bets you can make. While it doesn't seem like fun, you probably have noticed in any game you have more fun when you are winning than when you lose. So, to win play these bet, over the other eight choices that you have.

A single number bet is also fairly helpful to getting little more in winnings on average. For a single bet you get a higher payout, but you also have a lower probability of winning. You are stating that one die will have a specific number between 1 and 6. If you state that the number will be 4 then at least one out of three dice must have that number.

There are specific bets to make. In other words you could say that a total of the dice will be absolutely 11. So if you win you get a higher payout, but if you don't get 11, and get 12 you lose the bet and can't take the big bet winnings. You were specific. You can also bet on triples.

To bet on the triples you are stating that the numbers will be all odd, all even, a mix, or a specific triple. The specific triple has the highest payout, but it is also the bet that supports the house. It is very unlikely for you to get three 2's as you specify. You are more likely to get a mix on the dice. That is another point in strategy. The mix bet in which you don't offer a total, but instead that two dice will be odd and one even or that there will just be odd and even numbers will net you a higher payout.

For this game the entertainment and conversation is really where the fun is. You are never going to want to take a huge chance in the dice.

Sic Bo Glossary

Tai Sai or Dai Siu - The literal translation of Tai Sai or Dai Siu is Big Small. Sic Bo is the usual name for the game Tai Sai or Dai Siu that you will have here. The game has three dice that are shaken in a cup or basket.

Spin - This is the action of the dice being shaken in the basket or cup. You cannot spin unless you've placed a wager on the Sic Bo table.

Re-Bet - In this case you would be placing the same wager value on the same betting area of the table for the next round as you did on the previous round. I.E. if you place a bet on the small with a value of $5 then you would place that same bet.

Clear - This is when the table is wiped clean and all wagers that are yours will be placed in your pile.

Chips - There are chips to make wagers with. The chips are of different values depending on what you want to play. If you play this online you just click the denomination you want to wager

Layout - This is the actual grid of the table. It shows the different bets that you are allowed to make.