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Themestream Contributor SICBO !! by Valerie Smith March 8, 2001

SICBO is a Chinese dice game wherein three dice are used. In a casino, the three dice are usually put into a round-looking thing with a lid on it that the dealer shakes around and sets down. He or she then takes the lid off, revealing the three dice and presses the buttons that will light up the winning combinations on the sicbo layout. 

As you can see below, there are various bets that may be made and the odds on each bet are different. In Atlantic City, there is usually a minimum bet of $1.00 at the Sic-Bo tables. However, that minimum is often raised to $2.00 on Friday through Sunday. The actual Sic-Bo layout does not look like the table I have set up below. The actual Sic-Bo layout shows pictures of the dice combinations. This is but my humble effort to give you the basics of the different bets and odds.

Taking the layout from bottom to top, in the first two rows, as shown above, you may bet even money that one or more of the dice will have the number you are betting on. Thus, if you put $20 on number 1 and it comes out 1-2-3, you will receive $20. If 1-1-3 comes out you will receive $40. Pay attention to this because dealers will often forget to pay you for the second number.

In the second row, you will find combinations of two dice. For example, if 1-2-3 comes out, the combinations of 1 & 2 and 1 & 3 and 2 & 3 will pay 5 to 1. If you bet $5 on any of these, you will receive $25.00.

In the third row, shown above, you have the individual numbers that the three dice may total up to in almost every roll. Each number carries its own odds. If you bet $1 on number 4 and it comes out, you will receive $60. Play number 5 for $1 and when it comes out, you will receive $30.00. These two lowest (as well as the two highest, 16 and 17) pay the most. The other numbers on either side pay between 15 to 5 per dollar. The two rolls that are not accounted for in this row are 1-1-1 and 6-6-6. (Note: look at the Sic-Bo layout you are playing on. Exact odds may vary. Online casinos pay $1 to $2 more per number than land casinos).

In the fourth and top row shown above, on either side, you have low and high. These are even money bets. (You might say they are equivalent to black and red in roulette). Numbers from 10-4 are considered low and number from 11-17 are considered high. You can bet $20 on low and if anything under 10 comes out, you will receive $20.

On either side are the doubles. Low doubles on the low side and high doubles on the high side. These bets pay 10-1. You bet $1 on 1-1 and 1-1-4 comes out. You get $10.

Then there are the triples. You should take note that there is no payout on high or low if a triple comes out. You can bet that any triple will come out and if it does, you will get $30. You can bet on a specific triple. If you are fortunate enough to have it come out, the odds on a specific triple are 1 to 180. That's right! You will get $180.

Don't think it never happens. It does. I once walked up to the Sic-Bo table in Caesars Atlantic City where a very frustrated-looking woman was playing the number 4, 5, 16 and 17 hoping to make 30 or 60. From the look on her face, you could see that she was past sure one of these numbers would come out and was losing patience. I bought into the table with $20, received $1 chips and put a single $1 chip on triple 4s, triple 5s and triple 6s. The frustrated woman rolled her eyes as though I was a real dreamer. The very next roll was triple 4s. I tipped the dealer $2, took my $175 profit and left.

Another time, I saw a man who had $5 on triple 666s, (there is a limit as to how much you can bet on each possibility). He had the max bet on double 6s and the max on 6 on the bottom and triple 666s came out., while everyone else turned green. A similar thing happened to me with the triple 666s another time. The dealer was rolling a lot of 6s and I was hanging in there with the doubles. Just because they say numbers come out in streaks, I put a $5 on any triple and $2 on the triple 666s while keeping $5 on the double 6s and a few rolls later, triple 666s came out!

If you have read my article Keno, you know that I just love games with numbers and that's why I absolutely had to try out this game. I don't really play it a lot but it's worth a shot with $20 every now and then, just to see if a triple will come out in 10 rolls. Then if there's no triple, I will play the whole last $10 on a single number where I have a 50/50 shot to get all my money back.

Almost every casino has one or two Sic-Bo tables and many online casinos have them as well. If you've ever wondered how the game works, sign on and play for fun at one of the online casinos. You can have a lot of fun, especially with combination bets.

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