Sic bo vs craps

Sic bo vs craps: which costs less?

Both are dice games where you bet on what the dice will show, and in both the house edge depends almost entirely on which bet you choose. That is the most useful thing to know before comparing them. Craps has some of the cheapest bets in any casino; sic bo has a simpler layout but a higher floor on cost.

On published figures, a £10 Pass bet in craps costs 14.1p on average and an odds bet placed behind it costs nothing extra in expectation. A £10 Big or Small bet in sic bo costs 27.8p on average, roughly double. Both games also carry bets that cost five to ten times that, so the comparison really comes down to discipline: the right bets in craps beat the right bets in sic bo, and the wrong bets in either are expensive.

House edges are averages over a very large number of bets. In a single session the dice can run well above or below them.

Two dice against three: how the games work

Sic bo shakes three dice at once. You bet on the total (4 to 17), on Big (11 to 17) or Small (4 to 10), on specific numbers appearing, on doubles or triples, or on two-number combinations. Every bet is settled on that one roll, and then a new round begins.

Craps rolls two dice, but its main bets can take several rolls to settle. On the come-out roll, a Pass bet wins on 7 or 11 and loses on 2, 3 or 12. Any other total becomes the point, and the shooter keeps rolling until the point repeats (Pass wins) or a 7 appears (Pass loses). Around that core sit one-roll bets, place bets, hardways and more. The how to play craps guide walks through a full round.

That difference shapes the experience. Sic bo is a one-shot guessing game with a big menu. Craps is a story that unfolds over several rolls, with the option to add an odds bet once a point is set.

The dice maths behind every bet

Every probability in both games comes from counting combinations. Two dice give 6 × 6 = 36 equally likely results; three dice give 6 × 6 × 6 = 216. The tables show how many ways each total can appear.

From these counts: a 7 in craps has 6 ways in 36, a 1 in 6 chance. In sic bo, Small covers totals 4 to 10 except the triples 2-2-2 and 3-3-3, which is 105 of 216 outcomes (48.61%); the six triples are the house’s margin. Paying even money on a 105-in-216 chance gives 105 − 111 = −6 out of 216, the 2.78% edge. The dice probability and craps dice odds pages go deeper.

Sic bo vs craps odds: the best bets compared

These are the cheapest standard bets in each game, from Wizard of Odds’ figures. Craps edges are per bet resolved, which is how they are usually quoted.

Check the Field paytable carefully: the zero-edge version needs both 2 and 12 to pay 3 to 1, while one 3 to 1 payout gives 2.78% and two 2 to 1 payouts give 5.56%. The odds bet can’t be placed on its own: it sits behind a Pass or Come bet, so a £10 Pass with £10 odds still costs 14.1p on average but puts £20 at risk. See the Pass line and Don’t Pass pages for the full picture, and Wizard of Odds’ craps table (opens in a new tab) for every figure.

The costly corners of each layout

Both layouts put their most expensive bets where they look most exciting. A big payout is almost always paired with a big edge.

Big 6 and Big 8 are a neat example of how layout tricks you: they pay even money on the same outcome that Place 6 or 8 pays at 7 to 6, so the edge jumps from 1.52% to 9.09% for no gain. Our proposition bets and Big 6 and Big 8 pages explain more.

Sic bo paytables vary far more than craps

Craps payouts on the main bets are close to universal. Sic bo is different: the Wizard of Odds sic bo page (opens in a new tab) compares Macau, Atlantic City and Australian paytables, and the same bet can cost three times as much in one version as another.

Online sic bo games set their own paytables, so check the help screen for the payout on each bet before you play. The sic bo house edge and sic bo bets pages list the common versions.

Per roll or per bet: reading craps house edges

Because some craps bets stay on the table for several rolls, edges can be quoted per bet made, per bet resolved or per roll. They tell different stories. Place 6 or 8 is 1.52% per bet resolved but 0.46% per roll, because many rolls settle nothing. Big 6 and Big 8 are 9.09% per bet resolved and 2.78% per roll.

Sic bo avoids this, because every bet is resolved on every roll. When you compare the two games, use per-bet-resolved figures for craps, as this page does, and remember that a craps Pass bet takes longer to settle than a sic bo bet. That slower settlement is one reason craps can cost less per hour at the same stake. The craps house edge page explains each measure.

What a session costs in pounds

The table assumes 50 decisions at £10 each. That number is an illustration; craps decisions on the Pass line take several rolls, so in practice you would make fewer an hour than at sic bo.

The spread runs from about £7 to about £167 for the same £500 staked. Choosing the bet matters more than choosing the game. The house edge calculator lets you test your own stake and number of bets.

Learning curve, pace and atmosphere

• Sic bo is easier to start. One roll, one result, and a layout that shows the payout on each box.
• Craps takes longer to learn. The come-out roll, points, odds bets and the difference between Pass and Come take a few rounds to absorb, and the craps strategy page explains which bets to focus on.
• Sic bo settles faster. Every bet is decided each roll, so money moves quickly.
• Craps rewards patience. A Pass bet can ride for several rolls, and the odds bet adds stake without adding to the expected cost.
• Neither has a skill element online. No way of throwing, clicking or timing changes the result, and there is no pattern to follow.

How to place a low-edge bet in each game

1. Open the game’s help screen and read the paytable, especially in sic bo where payouts vary.
2. Set a session budget and a flat stake you are comfortable losing.
3. In craps, place your chip on the Pass line before the come-out roll.
4. If a point is set, consider adding an odds bet behind your Pass bet, sized within your budget.
5. In sic bo, place your chip on Big or Small (or Odd or Even) before betting closes.
6. Skip the proposition bets in craps and the double, triple and total bets in sic bo unless you knowingly accept the cost.
7. Check the result and your net spend display before the next round.

Live tables, Super Sic Bo and UK rules

Online, both games appear as RNG and live versions; check the casino’s lobby for what it carries. Evolution’s Super Sic Bo (opens in a new tab) uses three dice and the standard bets, then randomly applies multipliers of up to 1000x to some bet spots after betting closes. Evolution doesn’t publish its base payouts or RTP on that page, so read the help screen for the base payouts before you bet. Our live craps page covers live dice tables, and Lightning Dice vs sic bo looks at Evolution’s three-dice game show.

UK rules apply equally: no autoplay on any online casino game since 17 January 2025, at least 5 seconds per game cycle for non-slot games, no playing several games at once, and net spend and time shown in real time. Slot stake limits don’t apply to dice games. Our can you play craps online in the UK answer has more.

Which suits you: sic bo or craps?

Choose craps if you are willing to learn the Pass line and odds bet, which give the lowest cost of any dice game. Choose sic bo if you prefer a quick, simple round and stick to Big, Small, Odd or Even. For more side-by-side guides, visit our casino comparisons or craps vs roulette.

Where to play sic bo and craps with our partners

Our partner offers are slot-led, and dice games are often excluded from bonus wagering or count for less. Check the terms and look in each casino’s game lobby for the sic bo and craps tables it lists. 18+ and terms apply.

Casumo’s welcome offer for new customers who opt in is a 50% bonus up to £100 on a first deposit of £20 or more; the bonus must be wagered 10x within 7 days with a £5 maximum bet, and game, play and payment restrictions apply. 10bet offers new UK customers who choose its casino welcome bonus a 100% match up to £25 on a first deposit made within 7 days, wagered 10x on slots within 3 days, with bonus winnings capped at £1,000 and Skrill and Neteller deposits excluded. Coral gives new players who deposit and bet at least £10 on slots 100 free spins worth 10p each on selected games; accept them within 48 hours and use them within 7 days, there is no wagering on winnings, and Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don’t qualify.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.