NinoGaming Sic Bo: Three Dice, Seven Bet Types, One Paytable to Check

Start with the paytable, not the dice. Sic bo uses three dice and dozens of bet spots, and the gap between the best and worst of them is enormous: 2.78% at one end, 47.22% at the other. This page ranks seven bet types by that figure and is part of the live casino section on how tables are run.

Every figure comes from Wizard of Odds’ sic bo analysis on the Macau paytable. At NinoGaming, live tables sit under the Live Feed tab; open a sic bo table’s help screen to confirm it uses this paytable.

Sic bo bets ranked by house edge

Rank	Bet	Wins when	Pays (Macau)	House edge
1	Big or Small	Total is 11 to 17 (Big) or 4 to 10 (Small), no triple	1 to 1	2.78%
2	Single number	Your number shows on 1, 2 or 3 dice	1, 2 or 3 to 1	7.87%
3	Totals	The three dice add to your number	6 to 1 up to 50 to 1	9.72% to 47.22%
4	Two-dice combination	Both your numbers appear	5 to 1	16.67%
5	Specific triple	All three dice show your number	150 to 1	30.09%
6	Any triple	All three dice match	24 to 1	30.56%
7	Specific double	At least two dice show your number	8 to 1	33.33%

1. Big and Small

Big covers totals of 11 to 17 and Small covers 4 to 10. Both lose if the three dice match, even when the total falls in range. That rule leaves each bet winning 48.61% of the time at even money.

2. Single number

Pick a number from 1 to 6. You are paid 1 to 1 if it appears on one die, 2 to 1 on two dice and 3 to 1 on all three. The house edge is 7.87%.

3. Totals, and why they vary so much

Each total has its own payout and its own edge. The spread is the widest on the table.

Total	Pays (Macau)	House edge
4 or 17	50 to 1	29.17%
5 or 16	18 to 1	47.22%
6 or 15	14 to 1	30.56%
7 or 14	12 to 1	9.72%
8 or 13	8 to 1	12.50%
9 or 12	6 to 1	18.98%
10 or 11	6 to 1	12.50%

Wizard of Odds records Atlantic City tables paying 60 to 1 on 4 or 17 and 30 to 1 on 5 or 16. That is why the table’s own paytable matters more than any ranking.

4. Two-dice combination

Choose two different numbers, such as 3 and 5. The bet wins 13.89% of the time and pays 5 to 1, for a 16.67% edge.

5 to 7. The triple and double bets

These pay the most per win and keep the most over time. A specific triple pays 150 to 1 in Macau and 180 to 1 in Atlantic City, but lands on 1 roll in 216.

1. Specific triple, 150 to 1: house edge 30.09%.
2. Any triple, 24 to 1: house edge 30.56%.
3. Specific double, 8 to 1: house edge 33.33%.

For comparison, a live baccarat Banker bet keeps 1.06%, and the lowest-returning Crazy Time bonus bet returns 94.33%.

How to check a live sic bo table before betting

1. Open the table’s help or paytable screen before placing a chip.
2. Compare the Big and Small payout with the 1 to 1 above, and check whether they lose on triples.
3. Check what totals of 4, 17, 5 and 16 pay, since those vary most between tables.
4. If the table carries a variant name rather than plain sic bo, read that game’s own rules, because the figures here may not apply.
5. Set a stake limit first; the responsible gaming support lines are listed on this site.