How to Play Sic Bo: Rules, Bets and Odds
How to play sic bo: three dice and 216 outcomes, Big and Small, totals and triples, what each bet pays, and why the house edge runs from 2.78% to over 30%.
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About this video: How to Play Sic Bo
How to Play Sic Bo explains the three-dice game step by step. It covers how a round works, what the main bets pay, and why some bets cost far more than others. The dice can land in 216 equally likely ways, and every payout comes from counting them.
First, the video walks through a round. You place your chips on the layout, and then the dealer shakes the dice. Next, the winning boxes light up and get paid. Rounds often take under a minute, so it is worth setting a budget first.
Next, it explains Big and Small. Small wins on 4 to 10, and Big wins on 11 to 17. Both pay 1 to 1. However, both lose on any triple, and that rule gives them a 2.78% house edge. Then it covers single numbers, totals and triples.
Finally, it compares the house edge on each bet. The big payouts mostly cost 10% to 19%, and a specific triple at 150 to 1 costs over 30%. For example, a 16% edge costs about £16 per £100 staked, against £2.78 on Big or Small.
However, rules and offers change. For that reason, we check every video against the Gambling Commission and other official sources. In fact, we last checked this one on 16 October 2026.
Read the transcript
Sic bo is a fast dice game where you bet on how three dice land. Here’s how a round works, what each bet pays, and which bets carry a low or a high house edge.
The dealer shakes three dice, usually in a covered dish or a glass cage. Three dice can land in 216 equally likely ways, giving totals from 3 to 18.
A round has three steps. First, you place your chips on one or more boxes. Then the dice are shaken. Finally, the winning boxes light up and are paid. Rounds often take under a minute, so set a budget first.
The simplest bets are Big and Small. Small wins on a total of 4 to 10, and Big wins on 11 to 17. Both pay 1 to 1. However, there is a catch: both lose on any triple, and that rule gives them a house edge of 2.78%.
You can also bet on a single number, a pair of numbers, an exact total, or a triple. A specific triple has just one chance in 216, so it pays the most on the table.
Big, Small, Odd and Even have the lowest edge. However, the bigger payouts mostly cost between 10% and 19%, and a specific triple paying 150 to 1 costs over 30%.
So for every £100 staked, a 16% edge is an average loss of about £16, against about £2.78 on Big or Small. Each roll is independent, so no system changes this.
18+. Please gamble responsibly.
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