This fascinating and ancient Chinese game is a rare gem in any casino. Less popular in Western culture due to the presence of similar variants like Chuck-a-luck or Grand Hazard, Sic Bo is one of the only two casino games that involves three dice (the other being Craps).
The words “Sic Bo” can be loosely translated in English to “precious dice”, but can also be referred to as Tai Sai, Dai Siu, or Hi-Lo, all of which ultimately mean “big and small”. Each of these translations lend relevant meaning to the game: it involves three important dice, and bets made on very big or very small numbers.
Gameplay and Objectives of Sic Bo
The overall look and feel of Sic Bo can be a little overwhelming – the board advertises many numbers and depictions of dice that can make it come across as complicated and confusing. However, the gameplay of Sic Bo is not too different from other, more familiar casino games and is surprisingly easy to pick up.
The way to win Sic Bo is through making accurate predictions about the outcome of rolled dices. Using the all-familiar poker chips, players place bets on various different dice outcomes and then roll all three dices to see if their combination predictions come true. For every accurately predicted dice outcome (of which there are three), you win a bet. For every inaccurately predicted dice outcome, you lose a bet.
Every round, the dealer shakes the three precious dice in a tiny chest before tipping them out to reveal their numbers. In a computerised game, the dice combinations are generated at random.
Big Bets and Small Bets
There are a few different types of bets a player can make, but they are easily categorised into “big” and “small” ones. Big bets include numbers ranging between 11 – 17, and small bets include numbers ranging between 4 – 10.
If a player does not want to bet on very specific dice combinations, they can bet on any number they choose between 4 – 17. All combinations have slightly different winning potentials.
History of Sic Bo
The game of Sic Bo is rich with history and Chinese culture. The exact year of this game’s inception is difficult to pinpoint, but research suggests that is has been practised for thousands of years and may even be the first ever dice-based gambling game in existence.
China is the undisputable home of Sic Bo, but since it was brought to the United States by Chinese immigrants in the 20th century, it became popularised in Western culture and can now be found in hundreds of casinos all over the world like JackpotCity Casino.
However, Sic Bo remains significantly more popular in Asian regions such as Macau than in European or American regions. The reason for this is probably due to the fact that American Westerners developed their own similar versions of Sic Bo upon being taught it by Chinese immigrants in the 1900s, and seem to prefer these over the original.