The same bet, two prices
Craps and roulette payouts are effectively standard. Blackjack varies by a predictable set of named rules. Sic bo has no such convention, and the numbers printed on the layout are the whole game.
| Bet | Better payout | Edge | Worse payout | Edge | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specific triple | 180:1 | 16.20% | 150:1 | 30.09% | 13.89 pp |
| Any triple | 30:1 | 13.89% | 24:1 | 30.56% | 16.67 pp |
| Specific double | 10:1 | 18.52% | 8:1 | 33.33% | 14.81 pp |
| Total 4 or 17 | 60:1 | 15.28% | 50:1 | 29.17% | 13.89 pp |
| Total 5 or 16 | 30:1 | 13.89% | 18:1 | 47.22% | 33.33 pp |
| Total 6 or 15 | 17:1 | 16.67% | 14:1 | 30.56% | 13.89 pp |
The worst offender is Total 5 or 16: 13.89% on the better schedule against 47.22% on the worse, a difference of 33.33 percentage points on the same wager.
What to read before you bet
Every payout is printed inside its box on the layout. Three are worth checking:
- Total 5 and 16. 30:1 or 18:1, and the difference is the largest on the table.
- Specific double. 10:1 or 8:1, worth 14.8 points.
- Any triple. 30:1 or 24:1, worth 16.7 points.
Or avoid the question
Small and Big are standard everywhere at 2.78%, which is the one part of a sic bo layout that does not need checking. They are also the cheapest bets on it by a wide margin.
Online sic bo makes this easier rather than harder: the pay table is usually one click away, and comparing two operators takes seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do sic bo payouts really vary that much?
- Yes. The same bet can cost 13.89% or 47.22% depending on one number on the layout.
- Which bet varies the most?
- Total 5 or 16, by 33.33 percentage points between the two common schedules.
- Which bets do not vary?
- Small and Big, at 2.78%. They are standard everywhere.
- Where do I find the payouts?
- Printed inside each box on the layout, or on the pay table screen for online sic bo.
Every figure on this page is counted from the 216 equally likely outcomes of three dice, in exact rational arithmetic, and checked against published references before publication. Sic bo payouts vary between casinos more than in any other table game, so where two schedules are common both are shown. Read the layout before you bet.