Sic bo bets and payouts

The sic bo layout: where each bet sits

A sic bo table is laid out in bands. Along the top sit the broad bets (Small on one side, Big on the other) with the doubles and triples between them. Below that is a long row of totals from 4 to 17, then the 15 two-dice combinations, and along the bottom the six single numbers. Online versions keep the same idea, though some tidy it into tabs or highlight the odds when you hover over a box.

Each of those areas is a separate wager with its own payout and its own house edge. Before looking at them one by one, here is the method that works for all of them: count how many of the 216 possible results win, multiply by what you would get back (stake plus winnings), and compare with 216. If the bet returns less than 216 units for 216 staked, the gap is the house's cut. New to the game? Start with our sic bo rules guide, part of the wider dice games section.

Big, Small, Odd and Even: the even-money sic bo bets

These four bets are the simplest and the cheapest. Small wins on a total of 4 to 10 and Big on 11 to 17, Odd and Even on the parity of the total, and all four pay 1 to 1. The catch is that any triple loses, even 2-2-2 (a total of 6) on Small or 5-5-5 (a total of 15) on Odd.

Of the 216 results, 108 have a total from 3 to 10 and 108 from 11 to 18. Remove the triples on each side (1-1-1, 2-2-2 and 3-3-3 on the low side, and the other three on the high side) and the extremes 3 and 18 vanish with them, leaving 105 winners each. The same count works for Odd and Even.

Staking £10 on each of the 216 results returns £2,100, so £60 is lost: 60 ÷ 2,160 = 2.78% of the stake. That is the same as a 28p average cost on every £10 bet, very close to red or black on European roulette.

Single Number bet: payout depends on how many dice match

Pick a number from 1 to 6. If it appears on one die you are paid 1 to 1, on two dice 2 to 1, and on all three 3 to 1 in the most common paytable. It looks like a fair deal, because each die has a one-in-six chance and three dice seem to cover half the outcomes. They don't, because the dice can repeat.

Worked example: £5 on the number 4. On average you win £5 75 times, £10 15 times and £15 once, and lose £5 125 times, per 216 rounds. That is £375 + £150 + £15 − £625 = −£85 over 216 rounds, or about 39p per £5 bet, a 7.87% edge. Where three matching dice pay 12 to 1 instead, the edge falls to 3.70%, according to Wizard of Odds' sic bo tables (opens in a new tab).

Two-Dice Combination bets (dominoes)

There are 15 boxes showing a pair of different numbers, such as 1 and 3 or 4 and 6. You win if both numbers appear somewhere among the three dice. The count is 30 results out of 216: 24 where the third die is a different number, and 6 where it repeats one of your pair.

• At 5 to 1 (Macau and Atlantic City): 30 × 6 = 180 returned per 216 staked, an edge of 16.67%.
• At 6 to 1 (Australia): 30 × 7 = 210 returned per 216 staked, an edge of 2.78%, tying with Big and Small as the cheapest bet on the table.

This is the clearest case in sic bo of a single step in the payout making a huge difference. Spot which one your game uses before you back a combination.

Doubles and triples: payouts against true odds

A Specific Double wins if your chosen number shows on at least two dice, which happens 16 times in 216 (15 exact doubles plus the matching triple). A Specific Triple needs all three dice on your number: once in 216. Any Triple wins on any of the six triples, so 6 in 216 or 1 in 36.

Worked example: £2 on three sixes at 150 to 1. A win pays £300 plus your £2 back, but on average that happens once in 216 rounds. Over 216 rounds you stake £432 and get back £302, an average loss of £130, or about 60p a bet. The big number on the layout is real; the cost of chasing it is real too. Read more on why long-shot bets cost the most.

Total bets: sic bo payouts for 4 to 17

Total bets win when the three dice add to the number you choose, triples included. Totals in the middle are common and pay little; totals at the edges are rare and pay a lot. Totals of 3 and 18 aren't offered as separate bets on most layouts, because they can only come from a triple.

Common paytables pay 12 to 1 on 7 or 14 (house edge 9.72%), 8 to 1 on 8 or 13 (12.50%) and 6 to 1 on 10 or 11 (12.50%). On 4 or 17 the edge runs from 12.50% to 29.17% depending on the payout: at 50 to 1, three winning results return 153 per 216 staked (29.17%), while at 62 to 1 they return 189 (12.50%). For totals of 5, 6, 9 and their mirrors, divide the results in the table by 216, multiply by the payout plus one, and compare with 1, using the figure your game's paytable shows.

How to place sic bo bets online

1. Open the game's paytable or help screen and note the payouts for doubles, triples, combinations and totals.
2. Set your session budget and chip size first, so that a run of losses doesn't push you to raise stakes.
3. Select a chip and tap the box for your bet. Tap again to add another chip to the same box.
4. Check the total staked shown on screen before betting closes or you confirm the roll.
5. After the result, winning boxes are paid at the listed odds. Use the re-bet button to repeat, or clear the layout to start fresh.

Online sic bo has no autoplay in Great Britain, and under the Gambling Commission's responsible product design standard (opens in a new tab) each game cycle must take at least 5 seconds. Your net spend and session time are shown on screen.

Combining sic bo bets: what really happens

Some players cover Big and a few totals together, or Small plus a double, so that more results produce some sort of win. It feels safer. In expected-value terms, each bet keeps its own edge and the costs add up. A £10 Small (28p average cost) plus £2 on Any Triple at 30 to 1 (28p average cost) gives a combined average cost of about 56p a round on £12 staked, an overall edge of about 4.6%, higher than the 2.78% on Small alone.

Hedging with a triple doesn't remove the house's advantage on Small; it adds a second, dearer bet. The pattern is the same for any mix. Our expected value guide shows how to add up combined bets, and the house edge calculator turns edges into a cost per hour.

Sic bo bets ranked from cheapest to dearest

Ranking by house edge gives a simple picture of value for money. Our sic bo house edge page explains the ranking and how it compares with other games.

1. Big, Small, Odd, Even, and a Two-Dice Combination at 6 to 1: 2.78%.
2. Single Number with 12 to 1 for three matches: 3.70%.
3. Single Number on the 1-2-3 paytable: 7.87%.
4. Total 7 or 14 at 12 to 1: 9.72%.
5. Specific Double at 11 to 1, Any Triple at 31 to 1: 11.11%.
6. Totals 8, 10, 11 and 13 at the common payouts: 12.50%.
7. Two-Dice Combination at 5 to 1: 16.67%. Specific Triple at 180 to 1: 16.20%.
8. Specific Double at 8 to 1, Any Triple at 24 to 1, Specific Triple at 150 to 1: over 30%.

No betting pattern, streak or system changes these figures, which match the sic bo range in the Wizard of Odds house edge summary (opens in a new tab). Each roll is independent, as our page on independent events explains, and the house edge applies to every bet you make.

Where to place sic bo bets in the UK

Our partners' welcome offers are slot-led and come with game restrictions, so they don't suit sic bo: table and live games are often excluded or count for less towards wagering. Check each casino's game lobby for RNG or live sic bo and read the offer terms. 18+ and terms apply.

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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.