Sic Bo: Rules, Odds and House Edge
Sic Bo is the casino’s three-dice game: the dealer shakes three dice in a covered shaker, and you bet on what they will show — Big or Small, a total, a pair, a triple. Big and Small are the cheapest bets on the table, with a house edge of 2.78%; the most tempting ones cost more than ten times as much.
Online casinos stream it live from Evolution, Ezugi, SA Gaming, Playtech and other studios, often with random multipliers. In the UAE, the only licensed online casino, Play971, does not offer Sic Bo, and playing it for money anywhere else in the country is illegal.
This guide explains the rules, the real odds of every bet — calculated by us from all 216 ways three dice can land — what the multipliers change, what 200 rounds look like, the Sic Bo tables at the casinos we review, and what the law says in the UAE.
Gaming Content WriterUpdated: 10 November 2026
Best Online Casinos for Sic Bo in Dubai in 2026
These are the casinos we rate. Sixteen of them have Sic Bo, live and computer-dealt; the third line of each card shows what we found. Play971, at the top, is the only one licensed by the UAE’s GCGRA, and it has no Sic Bo; the others are licensed abroad. Check what each bet costs before you play.
Sic Bo at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| What it is | A dice game of pure chance from China, played with three standard six-sided dice |
| Also called | Tai Sai or Dai Siu; Tai Xiu in Vietnam |
| Outcomes | 216 equally likely combinations of three dice, with totals from 3 to 18 |
| Best bets | Big or Small, Odd or Even: a house edge of 2.78% — our calculation |
| Costliest bets | Totals of 5 or 16, specific doubles and triples: from 30% to 42% at Super Sic Bo’s base payouts |
| Casino versions | Live (Evolution, Ezugi, SA Gaming, Playtech, Iconic 21 and others), with multipliers (Super Sic Bo, Lightning Sic Bo, Ultimate Sic Bo) and RNG |
| Licensed online in the UAE | No — Play971 has no Sic Bo |
How to Play Sic Bo
A round of Sic Bo takes less time to play than to explain. There is no decision after the bets are placed: the dice do all the work, and the only choice you make is where you put your chips.
01
Place your bets. The table is a grid of bet spots: Big and Small, Odd and Even, each total from 4 to 17, single numbers, pairs, combinations and triples. You can bet on as many spots as you like.
02
The dealer shakes the dice. Three dice are shaken in a covered shaker, so nobody sees them until the round is settled.
03
The dice are revealed. The shaker is opened and the three faces are read. The total and the individual numbers both count, depending on the bet.
04
Triples are special. If all three dice show the same number, Big, Small, Odd and Even all lose. This is where the house takes its edge on the even-money bets.
05
Winning bets are paid. Each bet spot has its own payout, from 1 to 1 on Big or Small to 150 to 1 or more on a specific triple. Losing bets are collected.
06
Multipliers, if the table has them. At Super, Lightning or Ultimate tables, some bet spots are given random multipliers before the dice are revealed. A winning bet on one of those spots is paid more.
Payouts differ from one studio to the next, and the same bet can cost very different amounts depending on what the table pays. The rules screen of each game lists every payout; compare it with the house edges below before you play.
Sic Bo Bets, Odds and House Edge
Every Sic Bo bet can be worked out exactly: three dice land in 216 equally likely ways. We counted how many of them win each bet and what that means at the payouts you will see at online tables:
| Bet | Wins on | Chance | Payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small or Big | Total 4–10 or 11–17, not a triple | 48.61% | 1 to 1 | 2.78% |
| Odd or Even | Odd or even total, not a triple | 48.61% | 1 to 1 | 2.78% |
| Single number | The number on one, two or three dice | 42.13% | 1, 2 or 3 to 1 | 7.87% |
| Combination | Two chosen numbers, such as 1 and 2 | 13.89% | 5 to 1 | 16.67% |
| Specific double | A chosen number on at least two dice | 7.41% | 8 to 1 | 33.33% |
| Any triple | Three of the same number | 2.78% | 30 to 1 | 13.89% |
| Specific triple | Three of a chosen number | 0.46% | 150 to 1 | 30.09% |
The payouts above are the base payouts in Evolution’s Super Sic Bo, before any multiplier. Some tables pay more on the rarer bets, and every extra unit of payout lowers the edge: a specific double paid at 10 to 1 costs 18.52%, an any triple at 24 to 1 costs 30.56%, and a specific triple at 180 to 1 costs 16.20%.
Why triples decide the cost of Big and Small
Big and Small would be a fair coin toss without triples: the 216 outcomes split evenly between high and low totals. The six triples — 1-1-1 up to 6-6-6 — make both bets lose, so each wins 105 times in 216 instead of 108. That is the 2.78% house edge, the same at every table that pays 1 to 1.
The totals
Bets on an exact total pay more for totals near the ends of the range, because they are much rarer. The middle totals, 10 and 11, come up 27 times in 216; the totals of 4 and 17 only three times. This is how often each total comes up and what it costs at Super Sic Bo’s base payouts:
| Total | Ways in 216 | Chance | Base payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or 17 | 3 | 1.39% | 50 to 1 | 29.17% |
| 5 or 16 | 6 | 2.78% | 20 to 1 | 41.67% |
| 6 or 15 | 10 | 4.63% | 15 to 1 | 25.93% |
| 7 or 14 | 15 | 6.94% | 12 to 1 | 9.72% |
| 8 or 13 | 21 | 9.72% | 8 to 1 | 12.50% |
| 9 or 12 | 25 | 11.57% | 6 to 1 | 18.98% |
| 10 or 11 | 27 | 12.50% | 6 to 1 | 12.50% |
A table that pays 60 to 1 on a 4 or 17 cuts that bet’s edge to 15.28%, and one that pays 30 to 1 on a 5 or 16 cuts it to 13.89%. Of all the totals, 7 or 14 at 12 to 1 is the cheapest, at 9.72%.
What the multipliers change
Super Sic Bo, Lightning Sic Bo and Ultimate Sic Bo add random multipliers to some bet spots in every round, which is why their base payouts are lower than the payouts on a classic table: the multipliers are paid for by the rounds that do not get one. They make results swing more, but they do not make the game cheaper. Check the return to player in each game’s information screen; it is the figure that tells you what the game costs over time.
What 200 Rounds Look Like
The house edge is easier to feel over a session. We simulated 100,000 sessions of 200 rounds each, betting 10 AED a round — 2,000 AED of bets per session — on Big, on a total of 10 at 6 to 1, and on any triple at 30 to 1:
| After 200 rounds of 10 AED | Big at 1 to 1 | Total of 10 at 6 to 1 | Any triple at 30 to 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average result | Loss of 56 AED | Loss of 250 AED | Loss of 279 AED |
| Sessions that ended ahead | 32% | 22% | 32% |
| Sessions that lost more than 300 AED | 4% | 47% | 52% |
| The worst 10% of sessions | Lost 240 AED or more | Lost 670 AED or more | Lost 1,070 AED or more |
| The best 10% of sessions | Won 120 AED or more | Won 170 AED or more | Won 790 AED or more |
The any-triple bet ends ahead as often as Big, but its losing sessions are far deeper: it costs five times as much and swings much harder. That combination — occasional big wins, steady losses — is what makes the long-shot bets feel better than they are.
Sic Bo Strategy: What Works and What Doesn’t
Sic Bo has no decisions after the bet, so strategy comes down to which bets you make. The numbers above settle most of the advice in videos promising “winning strategies”.
- Works: stick to Big, Small, Odd or Even. At 2.78% they are the cheapest bets on the table, close to the 2.70% of a bet on European roulette.
- Works: read the paytable. The same bet can cost 13.89% or 33.33% depending on what the table pays. If you bet on totals, 7 or 14 is the least expensive.
- Doesn’t work: betting Big and Small together. Covering both sides guarantees a small loss whenever a triple comes up and nothing otherwise. It cannot win.
- Doesn’t work: following the results board. Each shake is independent. After five Big results in a row, Small is no more likely on the next shake, and a triple is not “due”.
- Doesn’t work: doubling after a loss. Doubling your stake after every loss wins small amounts often and loses large amounts occasionally. It does not change the cost of each bet, and table limits stop it long before a long losing run ends.
- Doesn’t work: chasing multipliers. A multiplier only pays if the bet it lands on wins. The spots are chosen at random after the bets close, so no bet is more likely to get one.
None of this beats the house: over many rounds, the cost of each bet decides the result. On 2,000 AED of bets, the gap between Big and a total of 10 is about 56 AED against 250.
Sic Bo at Online Casinos
Online, Sic Bo comes in three forms: classic live tables, live tables with random multipliers, and computer-dealt RNG versions. The rules and the 216 outcomes are the same in all of them; the payouts and the multipliers differ from studio to studio.
Evolution Super Sic Bo
Evolution’s Super Sic Bo selects a number of bet spots — from none to several — in every round and gives them random multipliers of up to 1,000x while the dice are shaken. Its base payouts are those in our table above: 1 to 1 on Big and Small, 50 to 1 on a 4 or 17 and 150 to 1 on a specific triple. The same studio runs Speed Super Sic Bo, a faster table, Emperor Sic Bo, and Instant and First Person versions.
Lightning Sic Bo
In Evolution’s Lightning Sic Bo, lightning strikes four or more random bet spots in every round, each with a multiplier from 5x to 2,000x. The multipliers are paid for by a 20% fee added to every bet: a 10 AED bet costs 12 AED. Because the fee is charged on every round, win or lose, compare the game’s paytable and return with a classic table before you play.
Ezugi Sic Bo and Ultimate Sic Bo
Ezugi, part of the Evolution group, streams a classic live Sic Bo with Big and Small, totals, combinations and triples, and Ultimate Sic Bo, which adds multipliers of up to 1,000x.
Other live tables
SA Gaming (Emerald Hall and Diamond Hall Sic Bo, listed at some casinos as M Sic Bo), Playtech (Sic Bo and SicBo Deluxe), Iconic 21 (Sic Bo and Gravity Sic Bo) and Creedroomz Live also stream Sic Bo. Their payouts vary; the rules screen of each game shows them.
RNG versions
KingMidas (SicBo and Tai Xiu), Tada Gaming, Habanero, Platipus, Galaxsys, VoltEnt (Sic Bo Dragons) and Belatra offer computer-dealt versions without a live dealer. They roll faster than a live table, which means more rounds — and more of the house edge — in the same time.
Sic Bo at the casinos we review
We found Sic Bo at 16 of the 17 casinos in our table that open from the UAE, in the game lists we collected for our reviews in October and November 2026 and, for 10Bet, in its live casino section. The exception is Play971.
| Game | Studio | Type | Where we found it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Sic Bo | Evolution | Live, with multipliers | Wazamba, Melbet, Betwinner, Betostar, Emirbet, 10Bet |
| Lightning Sic Bo | Evolution | Live, with multipliers | Wazamba, Betostar, Emirbet |
| Speed Super Sic Bo, Emperor Sic Bo | Evolution | Live | Melbet, Betwinner; Emperor Sic Bo also at YYY Casino |
| Instant and First Person Super Sic Bo | Evolution | Faster single-player versions | Wazamba, Betostar, Emirbet |
| Sic Bo, Ultimate Sic Bo | Ezugi | Live | Casinia, Nomini, Rabona, Spinanga, Wazamba, Melbet, Betwinner |
| Emerald Hall and Diamond Hall Sic Bo | SA Gaming | Live | 10 casinos, plus Melbet and Betwinner |
| Sic Bo, SicBo Deluxe | Playtech | Live | 10 casinos, plus Melbet and Betwinner |
| Sic Bo, Gravity Sic Bo | Iconic 21 | Live | 10 casinos, plus Betostar and Emirbet |
| Sic Bo | Creedroomz Live | Live | 10 casinos |
| SicBo, Tai Xiu, Sic Bo Dragons and others | KingMidas, Tada Gaming, Habanero, Platipus, Galaxsys, VoltEnt | RNG | 10 casinos, plus Emirbet |
The ten casinos that share most of these games are Bassbet, Casinia, Funbet, Legiano, Nomini, Rabona, Spinanga, StoneVegas, Wazamba and WildRobin; Melbet and Betwinner add smaller Asian studios. Because they run the same studios, the choice of tables is similar from one to the next; what changes is the stake limits and each casino’s own terms. None of them holds a UAE licence.
Sic Bo Apps: Play Money and Real Money
In the UAE, searches for Sic Bo bring up apps in the app stores, many of them under the Vietnamese name Tai Xiu, alongside rules pages and videos. Two very different things go by the same name, and it pays to know which one you are installing.
Free-chip apps
Most Sic Bo and Tai Xiu apps in the app stores are games played with virtual chips. You can buy chips, but you cannot cash them out, so you cannot win money. Check the app’s terms for whether chips can be exchanged for anything of value, and set a spending limit on in-app purchases — these games are designed to sell more chips.
Real-money apps and websites
Apps and sites that let you deposit, play Sic Bo and withdraw winnings are gambling, whatever they call themselves. None of them is licensed by the UAE’s General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, so playing on them from the UAE carries the same legal risk as any other unlicensed gambling. Some also sell “winning strategies”; with three dice and 216 equally likely outcomes, no strategy changes the odds.
Is Sic Bo Legal in the UAE?
Playing Sic Bo for money in the UAE is legal only with an operator licensed by the GCGRA — and the only licensed online casino, Play971, does not offer it. When we checked Play971’s lobby from a UAE connection on 9 November 2026, its 30 live tables were roulette, Dragon Tiger, baccarat and blackjack, and none of its games was Sic Bo. Play971 is also available only to players aged 21 or over who are in the UAE, outside Dubai.
Outside the licensed market, both playing and organising are crimes. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021, gambling is punishable by up to two years in prison or a fine of up to AED 50,000 (Article 461), and running a gambling venue by up to ten years and a fine of at least AED 100,000 (Article 462). That covers private dice games with money on the table and online casinos without a UAE licence.
Our guide to gambling law in the UAE explains the rules in full, and our guide to casinos in Dubai covers where land-based gaming will be allowed.
Sic Bo Glossary
Sic Bo’s vocabulary comes from Cantonese, and the online versions mix it with English. These are the terms you will see on the betting grid and in the rules:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sic Bo | “Precious dice” in Cantonese |
| Tai Sai, Dai Siu, Tai Xiu | “Big small”: other names for the game, after its best-known bet |
| Big and Small | A total of 11 to 17, or 4 to 10; both lose on a triple |
| Total | A bet on the exact sum of the three dice, from 4 to 17 |
| Single | A bet that one number appears on one, two or three dice |
| Double | A bet that a chosen number appears on at least two dice |
| Combination | A bet on two different numbers both appearing |
| Triple | Three dice showing the same number; a bet on a specific or any triple |
| Shaker | The covered container in which the dice are shaken |
Some studios also run related three-dice games, such as SA Gaming’s Thai Hi-Lo, with their own bets and payouts. Check which game you are at before you bet: the house edges in this guide are for Sic Bo.
Play Responsibly
Sic Bo is fast and easy to keep playing: a round is over as soon as the shaker opens, there is nothing to decide after the bet, and the multipliers keep the next big win always in view. Decide in advance how much you are prepared to lose, stop when you reach it, and do not raise the stakes to win back losses. If gambling is causing you or someone close to you difficulty, our responsible gambling guide lists where to find help.
FAQ
- How do you play Sic Bo?
You bet on the result of three dice — Big or Small, a total, a number, a pair or a triple — and the dealer shakes them in a covered shaker. Each winning bet is paid at its own payout.
- What is the best bet in Sic Bo?
Big or Small, or Odd or Even. Each wins 48.61% of rounds and pays 1 to 1, for a house edge of 2.78%, the lowest on the table.
- Why do Big and Small lose on a triple?
That is the house edge. Without the six triples, Big and Small would each win exactly half of the 216 outcomes; with them, each wins 105.
- What are the odds of a triple in Sic Bo?
Any triple comes up 6 times in 216, or 2.78% of rounds. A specific triple, such as three sixes, comes up once in 216, or 0.46%.
- Which total is the best bet?
At Super Sic Bo’s base payouts, a total of 7 or 14 at 12 to 1 has the lowest house edge, 9.72%. Every total costs more than Big or Small.
- Is Sic Bo pure luck?
Yes. The dice decide every round, and no bet or pattern changes the odds. Choosing the cheaper bets lowers what you lose over time, but it does not change any result.
- Do Sic Bo strategies work?
No. Results boards, betting both sides and doubling systems do not change the odds of the next shake. Only the choice of bet changes the cost.
- What is Super Sic Bo?
Evolution’s version with random multipliers of up to 1,000x on some bet spots in every round. Its base payouts are lower than those of a classic table to pay for the multipliers.
- Is Sic Bo legal in the UAE?
Only with a GCGRA-licensed operator, and the one licensed online casino, Play971, does not offer it. Playing for money elsewhere, including private games, is a crime under Article 461.
- Can I play Sic Bo on Play971?
No. When we checked on 9 November 2026, Play971 had no Sic Bo game or live table.