Sic Bo is settled on three standard dice, which produce 216 equally likely ordered outcomes. Every payout on the layout can be checked against that count. On the paytable most common in online lobbies, Big and Small carry a house edge of 2.78%, the lowest on the table, while the single total of 9 or 12 at 6 to 1 carries 18.98%, the highest among standard wagers.
Equipment and Sequence of Play
The dice
Three six sided dice are shaken in a covered container or a mechanical shaker, then revealed. Live dealer tables use an automatic shaker under a glass dome. RNG versions generate the three values independently.
The round
Wagers are placed on the layout before the shake. Once the dice are revealed, every bet on the layout is settled against the same three values. There is no further decision after the wager, no doubling and no partial withdrawal.
Counting outcomes
Each die has six faces, so three dice give 6 x 6 x 6 = 216 ordered results. A total of 4 needs the values 1, 1 and 2, which can arrive in only 3 orders. A total of 10 or 11 can appear 27 ways each. That spread is the reason the total bets pay such different odds.
The Rules for Each Bet Type
Big and Small
Small wins on a total of 4 to 10. Big wins on a total of 11 to 17. Both lose when the three dice show the same number, even when that triple falls inside the range: a roll of 2, 2, 2 totals 6 and still loses a Small bet. Of the 107 outcomes totalling 4 to 10, two are triples (2, 2, 2 and 3, 3, 3), leaving 105 winning outcomes out of 216.
Odd and Even
Odd and Even follow the same structure: they win on the named parity of the total and lose on any triple. Not every table offers them.
Specific Triple and Any Triple
A Specific Triple wins only when all three dice show the named number, which happens once in 216 rolls. Any Triple wins on any of the six triples, 6 outcomes in 216.
Specific Double
A Specific Double wins when at least two dice show the named number. There are 15 outcomes with exactly two and 1 outcome with all three, so 16 winning outcomes in total. On most tables a triple of that number also pays the double.
Totals
A Total bet names one sum between 4 and 17. Totals 3 and 18 are not offered as separate bets on standard layouts because they can only appear as triples.
Two Dice Combination
Also called the domino bet, this names two different numbers. It wins when both appear among the three dice. There are 30 qualifying outcomes for any pair.
Single Number
A Single Number bet names one face value. It pays according to how many of the three dice show it: one, two or three. It loses only when none of the dice show the number, which happens in 125 of 216 outcomes.
Standard Paytable and House Edge
The paytable below is the configuration most frequently printed on online tables. Each edge is calculated from the 216 outcome count.
| Bet | Winning outcomes in 216 | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big or Small | 105 | 1 to 1 | 2.78% |
| Specific Triple | 1 | 180 to 1 | 16.20% |
| Any Triple | 6 | 30 to 1 | 13.89% |
| Specific Double | 16 | 10 to 1 | 18.52% |
| Two Dice Combination | 30 | 5 to 1 | 16.67% |
| Single Number | 91 | 1, 2 or 3 to 1 | 7.87% |
Last verified: 14 October 2026. Rule assumptions: three standard dice, Big and Small lose on any triple, Single Number pays 1 to 1 for one match, 2 to 1 for two and 3 to 1 for three.
The total bets are listed separately because each sum has its own probability and its own payout. Totals pair symmetrically: 4 behaves exactly as 17, 5 as 16, and so on.
| Total | Winning outcomes in 216 | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or 17 | 3 | 60 to 1 | 15.28% |
| 5 or 16 | 6 | 30 to 1 | 13.89% |
| 6 or 15 | 10 | 17 to 1 | 16.67% |
| 7 or 14 | 15 | 12 to 1 | 9.72% |
| 8 or 13 | 21 | 8 to 1 | 12.50% |
| 9 or 12 | 25 | 6 to 1 | 18.98% |
| 10 or 11 | 27 | 6 to 1 | 12.50% |
Last verified: 14 October 2026. Rule assumptions as above.
How the Big and Small edge arises
Without the triple rule, Big and Small would each win exactly half of all rolls and pay even money, which is a zero edge. The six triples are the entire source of the house advantage. Small wins on 105 outcomes and loses on 111; the difference of 6 outcomes, all of them triples, gives 6 / 216 = 2.78%.
How the Single Number edge arises
Per 216 rolls on a one unit stake, the bet wins 1 unit 75 times, 2 units 15 times and 3 units once, a gain of 108 units. It loses 1 unit 125 times. The net result is minus 17 units over 216 rolls, or 7.87%.
Paytable Variants
Sic Bo paytables differ more between operators than the rules of roulette or baccarat. The same bet can carry very different edges depending on the printed payout.
| Bet | Variant payout | House edge | Change against standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specific Triple | 150 to 1 | 30.09% | Edge almost doubles |
| Specific Double | 8 to 1 | 33.33% | Edge rises by 14.81 points |
| Single Number | 12 to 1 on three matches | 3.70% | Edge falls by 4.17 points |
Last verified: 14 October 2026.
Single Number at 12 to 1
Some tables raise the payout for three matching dice on the Single Number bet from 3 to 1 to 12 to 1. The net result per 216 rolls improves from minus 17 units to minus 8 units, an edge of 3.70%. Other operators publish 2 to 1 or 3 to 1 for two matches combined with 3 to 1 or 12 to 1 for three; only the paytable on the specific table settles which applies.
Multiplier versions
Several live dealer studios offer Sic Bo formats in which random multipliers are applied to selected bets each round, funded by lower base payouts on those bets. Base payouts and multiplier frequencies are set by each supplier and are not uniform. Where the operator publishes a return to player figure for each bet in the game rules, that figure replaces every number in the tables above for that table.
Sic Bo Compared With Craps
Both games are dice games with a fixed layout, but the structure differs. Craps uses two dice, 36 outcomes, and resolves line bets over a sequence of rolls. Sic Bo uses three dice and resolves every bet on a single roll. The lowest edge available in Sic Bo, 2.78% on Big or Small, is roughly double the 1.41% Pass Line edge at craps and higher than the 2.70% edge on even money bets at single zero roulette.
Records, Trends and Displays
Online Sic Bo tables often display the last results, hot and cold numbers, and the share of Big against Small over recent rounds. The dice have no memory. Each roll draws from the same 216 outcomes regardless of what appeared before, and no display changes the probabilities or edges above.
Responsible Gambling
Online gambling in Malta is open only to adults aged 18 and over and is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority. Big and Small carry the lowest edge on the Sic Bo layout at 2.78%, and that is still a negative expectation: every bet on this table loses money over a long run of rolls. The single roll format settles each round in seconds, and the high payout bets such as the 180 to 1 Specific Triple can absorb many losing stakes between wins, so a fixed budget set in advance matters more here than at slower tables. Deposit, loss and time limits are available on every MGA licensed site, and support is offered by the Responsible Gaming Foundation on its gambling helpline, 1777.