Live Sic Bo Casinos

Welcome to our guide to Sic Bo, an exciting but less well-known gambling game that you can enjoy at live casinos today.

In this guide, we’ll take you through what live casinos are and how to enjoy them safely, and give you a beginner’s guide to the great game of live Sic Bo.

Let’s get going.

Top Casinos for Live Sic Bo – Best Live Dealer Sic Bo Casinos

What is Sic Bo?

Sic bo is a Chinese gambling game that is now available to global audiences.

It is a dice gambling game and there are several variants as well as related proprietary games going under different names.

You can play sic bo as a random number generator game (RNG) or with live dealers. In this guide, we’ll look at the live sic bo.

The claims of many gambling games to have a foundation in “Ancient China” are more based on the fact that it sounds kinda cool rather than any real evidence for the link.

Sic bo is probably different. It is a very old and very simple game, and while we’re going to have to bypass any detailed evidence – the “original sic bo dice” just won’t be found sadly – of the actual date and time of the game’s first playing it is widely regarded as plausible that it is very old and came from China.

The game is also known as tai sai and dai siu, “big and small” and “hi-lo” in casinos across Asia. It has been popular wherever it has been played, and when large numbers of Chinese workers travelled to the United States in the early 20^th century (tragically to be met with some disgusting racism at the institutional, legal, and popular levels) they brought their dice with them and the game entered the western casino canon.

Sic bo means “previous dice” and the other two Chinese names (dia siu and dai sai – the game’s most popular name in Macau) relate to the game’s gameplay, meaning “big or small”.

The game has gone really global thanks to the internet and has been available to UK players since 2002.

Let’s see how to play sic bo.

Live Sic Bo Gameplay

Sic bo is a dealer game with three dice. From that very simple base, it explores pretty much every betting possibility of a three-item random event.

The game is played, usually, on a table marked out with bets in a similar way to a roulette table.

Players make their bets on the outcome of the throw, the dealer somehow shakes the dice, and then bets are paid out.

It couldn’t be more simple.

And it couldn’t be more complicated.

We cannot in this guide cover every possible combination of bets and odds in the Sic Bo world. There are numerous game variants and any game maker is entitled to tweak the figures of the game to a certain degree. You really need to make sure that you read the rules of the table you are playing at as and when you do start playing any live casino game and live sic bo is no exception.

The throw is the main action in the game. This can be done by hand or via some sort of machine.

Game aesthetics generally take the usual route with East Asian games. That means silk dresses and lots of reds. You may find that games are streamed from casinos somewhere in East Asia or with East Asian-located themes, such as Macau or the Philippines.

Live Sic Bo Betting

We have said that the game drags out every possible drop of value from just throwing three dice and that’s illustrated by the huge variety of betting choices available to players of live sic bo.

We’ll report these bets with a house edge figure, but you should check the house edge of the game you are playing. Observers rate the overall house edge of sic bo at around 97%, which is about the same as roulette as an overall game (rather than any particular single roulette or sic bo bet).

Players may bet on:

Big: these reward players who correctly guess that the total on the three dice will be between 11 and 17 without there being a set of three matching numbers (a triple).

The bet has a probability of 48.61% (odds of 37 to 35(, a house edge of 2.78%, and a pay-out of evens.

Small: the obverse bet gives prizes if you correctly guess that the dice will produce a total between 4 and 10 (with no triple).

The bet has exactly the same probability, house edge, and pay-out stats as Big.

Odd: Triples are again excluded in this bet that pays out when the total on the dice is an odd number.

It has a 48.61% probability (37 to 35 odds), a 2.78% house edge, and a 1 to 1 or evens pay out.

Evens: No triples again, and pay outs for an even total.

The stats are the same as for the odds bet.

Named triples – also call “alls”

You can bet that you’ll see a triple and guess what number it will be.

This high paying bet has a probability of just 0.46%, a house edge of 16.2%, and pays out between 150 and 180 to 1.

Named double: pick your number at 7.41% probability with a 16.2% house and a pay-out that is usually 10 to 1.

A triple. Any set of three numbers has a probability of 7.41%, a house edge of 16.2%, and usually pays out 10 to 1.

Totals. Players can bet on paired single numbers as the total of all three dice.

These pairs are:

• 4 or 17 – probability 1.4% 60 to 1 pay out, a house edge of 15.3%.
• 5 or 16 – probability 2.8%, 30 to 1 pay out, 13.9% house edge.
• 6 or 15 – 4.6% probability, 18 to 1 pay out, 12% house edge.
• 7 or 14 – 6.9% probability, 12 to 1 pay out, 9.7% house edge.
• 8 or 13 – 9.7% probability, 8 to 1 pay out, 12.5% house edge.
• 9 or 12 – 11.6% probability, 6 to 1 pay out, 12.5% house edge.
• 10 or 11 – 12.5% probability, 6 to 1 pay out, 12.5% house edge.

Domino bets. Players may bet on pairs of numbers appearing on the dice: 1 and 3 for example. The probability of this bet is 13.9%, the pay-out is 6 to 1 and the house edge is 2.8%.

One number.

Players can predict that a single number from the die will appear.

The probability for a single match is 34.72%. Evens pay out with a house edge of 7.9%.

Two matches has a probability of 6.94%, a 2 to 1 pay out, and a 7.9% house edge.

Three matches has a probability of 0.46%. A 3 to 1 pay-out, and the same house edge.

Four number bet.

The four-number bet is a wager that three of four listed numbers will appear on the dice. The numbers are: 6, 5, 4, 3; 6, 5, 3, 2; 5, 4, 3, 2; and 4, 3, 2, 1.

The bet has an 11.1% probability, a 7 to 1 pay out and an 11.1% house edge.

Players can bet on three numbers appearing on the dice. The probability of this bet hitting is 2.8%, the pay-out is 30 to 1, and the house edge is 13.9%.

Double and a single. Another straight-up prediction is of a pair with a single number, hitting at 1.4% probability, with a 50 to 1 pay out and a 29.2% house edge.

Playing Live Sic Bo

To play the live game you need to learn how the gaming interface on the site you are using works.

They are usually relatively standard and should offer these options at least.

A betting table, usually showing the betting we have set out above.

You should also find some form of game history available to you. Be cautious about using game history. The gambler’s fallacy is a logical fallacy that causes people to predict that something that has not happened for a while is, therefore, more likely to happen. This is not the case in truly random events.

You will also probably be allowed to chat to the dealer, to ask them any questions you have.

Your game will be controlled via an interface that shows your balance and allows you to click or tap to pick up chips and drop them onto the bet or bets of your choice.

Most games allow you to make as many bets as you want on each game turn as long as you surpass the minimum bet amount.

Playing Live Sic Bo Safely

You must take steps to make sure that you are enjoying your live sic bo games safely.

There are several aspects to achieving this, and we’ll start with those that are specific to live games.

Live games are more expensive to run. They are staffed by real people and to set them up requires staffing and building costs to be met. This means that live games generally start out with higher minimum bet levels than rng games – simulators that use a random number generator to produce a random outcome.

This expense also means that it is difficult or impossible to play live casino games in demo mode for free. Playing games with no money at risk is the best way to play safely. You should bear this in mind with live games and if you can you should find a free sic bo game to have a go at the game first.

You can often find free casino games at review and affiliate sites and you may also find them at the developer’s website. Check YouTube for the specific game you’re interested in playing for videos too as you may find a walk-through there.

It’s all useful preparation and well worth doing.

You should also have a good understanding of how to use casino sites more generally safely.

This means three things.

Firstly, how do you find a safe site?

The best tool you can use to find safe casino sites is the licensing and regulation of the jurisdiction in which you’re living – and from which you’re playing. Licenses sites are the only ones it is safe to play (in most countries).

A licence will not keep you safe from every possible danger, but it’s a good basic baseline and you should make sure you understand the local licensing rules that apply to you, that you stick to them, and you understand how to check licences.

You also need to understand a few things about cybersecurity. You must be sure that you keep your computer or device updated. Work out how to set safe passwords, or use an app to support this, and do a little research at least on safe banking and money transfer.

Now we’re onto money we come to the big issue in the safe use of gambling sites and that is keeping yourself safe from gambling addiction and related problems. There are a lot of tools out there to help you play safely, but they are only useful if you know where to find them and how to use them.

You should read up a little on gambling safety. Every good quality website should offer you advice on how to play safely and contacts for organisations to give you more information and to ask for help if you need it.

Make sure you know how to use tools that can help to keep you safe like play limits, spending limits, time outs and so on.

An issue around live casinos is the social aspect of the game. Please always treat staff with the utmost respect but do be aware that gambling companies employ attractive young staff for a reason and you should make gambling decisions based on what is good and safe for you not what you think a dealer may think of you.

Only spend money that you can afford to lose and only play while you’re having fun. And, most of all, please learn to ask for help if you have the slightest inkling that you might need it.

Live Sic Bo Casinos FAQ

Are live sic bo sites a scam?

A good safe, licensed site will be safe to play on. However, you need to find those sites. This is easy enough in most jurisdictions and all you need to know is which licensing authority is the relevant one for you. A feature of some Asian casino sites is a way of guaranteeing that the game is actually being played live. That might include live TV running in the background or it might be an opportunity for the players to text in and see their number on the screen.

Can I win big money on sic bo?

You can win large prizes on single bets in sic bo. The biggest pay outs can be as high as 180 to 1. To do so you need to make risky bets though, and understanding how to play the game safely is more important than looking for big wins. Chasing losses is always bad news and the reality is that most gamblers lose relatively small amounts of money in the long term. Please look at gambling that way, and don’t look for big wins all the time – set a budget, stick to it and enjoy your game.

How do I play live sic bo to win?

There is no tactic that will give you a better chance of winning other than picking the most probable events to bet on. Even then, all gambling games are based on random events and random events cannot be predicted. Anyone who offers to sell you a strategy for winning is not being fully honest with you. The truth is that most gambling strategies are simply means of limiting losses and nothing can be done to defeat the random events.

What is the best live sic bo site?

Live sic bo is still relatively rare in western casinos. However, you will find tables fairly easily with a bit of googling. The most important thing for you is to find safe sites and to play them safely. Check out rules variants and read up on the theoretical return to players on the games that you play to see which games offer you the best returns. You might also choose to play at a site with a nice design or decent music – this is supposed to be fun after all!

What is the best bet in live sic bo?

If you want the best that is the most likely to give you a win, any win, then the best bets are the 2/1 chance bets: odds/evens and big/small. These are the most popular bets in most games. The best returns will come from correctly naming a specific triple. However, this is extremely unlikely to come home, so you’ll be waiting for a win if you play this one. House edge is the measure of profitability in a casino and profit for a casino is a loss for players. The bets with the lowest house edge in sic bo are those low-risk ones: odds and evens or big and small.