How do you play sic bo?
You play sic bo by placing chips on the table layout before the dealer rolls three dice, then collecting if the dice match your bet. The steps:
- Find a table with space. The layout shows every bet; ask the dealer if you are unsure what a box means.
- Place your chips. Put them on the box for the bet you want. You can bet on several boxes in the same round.
- Watch the roll. The dealer shakes the dice in a covered container and shows the three results.
- Get paid or lose. Winning bets are paid at the odds printed on the layout. Losing chips are taken.
The odds are quoted as “to 1”: a bet that pays 6 to 1 returns your stake plus six times your stake.
What bets can you make, and what do they pay?
The common bets are Small, Big, single numbers, totals, pairs, doubles and triples. Small wins on a total of 4 to 10 and Big on 11 to 171, and both lose when all three dice match. One reference gives the pay tables used in Macau and Atlantic City, and shows the house edge for each, so you can compare them.
| Bet | What wins | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small or Big | Total 4-10 or 11-17, not a triple1 | 1 to 1 | 2.78%1 |
| Single number | One, two or three dice match1 | 1, 2 or 3 to 1 | 7.87%1 |
| Total of 7 or 14 | Dice add to 7 or 14 | 12 to 1 | 9.72%1 |
| Total of 8 or 13 | Dice add to 8 or 13 | 8 to 1 | 12.50%1 |
| Total of 10 or 11 | Dice add to 10 or 11 | 6 to 1 | 12.50%1 |
| Two-number combination | Both chosen numbers appear1 | 5 to 1 | 16.67%1 |
| Any triple | Three matching dice1 | 24 to 1 (Macau), 30 to 1 (Atlantic City)1 | 30.56% and 13.89%1 |
| Specific triple | Three of one chosen number1 | 150 to 1 (Macau), 180 to 1 (Atlantic City)1 | 30.09% and 16.20%1 |
Odd and Even bets, found in Macau, carry the same 2.78% edge as Small and Big.1
What is the house edge in sic bo?
The house edge is the share of each stake the casino expects to keep over many rounds. In sic bo it runs from 2.78%1 on Small and Big up to 30.09%1 on a specific triple at Macau odds. A 30% edge means that, on average, RM100 staked on that bet returns about RM70. The big payout looks attractive because it rarely arrives.
The same bet can carry a different edge in a different place. Pay tables differ by jurisdiction and casino1, and a bet that pays 150 to 1 in Macau pays 180 to 1 in Atlantic City, which cuts the edge by about half. Check the numbers on the layout before you place a chip.
Does a betting system work in sic bo?
No, a betting system does not work in sic bo. The edge sits inside what every bet pays, so doubling after a loss, following a streak or spreading chips across boxes does not change it. Each roll of the three dice is independent of the last one. Systems can only change how quickly you run through your money, and they make the swings larger. Only stake money you can afford to lose.
What is known about sic bo at Genting?
Resorts World Genting has not published sic bo rules, bets or payouts, so what a table pays is unconfirmed until you read the layout. The one figure on record is a minimum: iGB reported that SkyCasino sic bo started at RM102 in December 2023, a reporter’s observation and not a tariff. iGB also listed baccarat, roulette and sic bo among the most popular games at SkyCasino2. Limits are set per table and change by floor; the Genting minimum bets page explains what has been reported and for which games.
How do you stay safe at a sic bo table?
Keep your own chips in front of you, and take betting advice from nobody at the table. One post on r/malaysia from December 2023 described a friendly stranger giving advice, taking chips and then disputing whose bets were whose3. It is a single report from one forum user and we have not confirmed it, so treat it as a reason for care, not as a known pattern. If anything about your chips or a bet looks wrong, tell the dealer or pit supervisor straight away.
Players must be 21 or over4, and Malaysian Muslims are barred from Genting casinos (see can Muslims enter Genting?). For rules about dress, entry and chips, see Genting casino rules. Sic bo is gambling and every bet has an edge against you. Our responsible gambling page lists free help in Malaysia, and the Genting hub covers the rest of the trip.