Of all the games that can be played in Macao casinos, few can match the history of sic bo (骰寶).
Roughly translating to “dice pair,” even though it’s played with three dice, sic bo has been played in China for centuries, if not millennia. Sic bo has come a long way in that time. All the way to the casino floor, in fact.
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Also known as cussec, hi-lo and tai sai – “big, little” – sic bo can be found in casinos across Europe and the US. This global reach has made it one of the world’s most popular dice games, but its spiritual home is still Macao.
Before you place your bets, here’s a rundown on the game.
A brief history of sic bo
There is no consensus about when sic bo was invented. Some believe it dates to the Han Dynasty, about 2,000 years ago. In its earliest form, the game was likely played with shells, stones, or painted tiles, as dice did not exist. That makes it like another popular game of luck played in Macao, Fish Prawn Crab (魚蝦蟹) – a version of sic bo played with dice featuring symbols and colours rather than numbers.
Sic bo remains popular today, and thanks to the Chinese diaspora, it has also travelled far and wide, first spreading to countries such as Thailand and the Philippines, where it’s called hi-lo. Later, in the early 20th century, Chinese immigrants brought it to the US, where it became popular among European and American bettors. In fact, in the casino scene shot in Macao for the 1974 film The Man with the Golden Gun, the players were betting on a game of sic bo.
In 2003, sic bo was formally introduced to American casinos. Today, it can be found in Austria, Australia and even the country of Georgia.
While sic bo may be a global game, its cultural roots remain firmly planted in China. Last year, sic bo tallied nearly 8.3 billion patacas (US$ 1 billion) in gaming revenue for Macao. That made it the second most popular table game, just ahead of black jack and fortune three-card poker yet far behind the leader, baccarat.
How is sic bo played?
Sic bo is a game of luck played with three dice, and it is remarkably simple.
Players stand around a large table and place bets in corresponding boxes – for example, if you want to bet on three-of-a-kind, you place your chips in the spot reserved for three-of-a-kind bets. You can place bets in as many boxes as you wish, as long as you meet the table’s stake limits.
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Three dice are shaken in a cage, the top is removed, and the table illuminates the winning bets.
That’s it. Players win or lose, dealers reload the dice and the game goes on again.
What are the bets, odds and strategies for sic bo?
While sic bo is simple, bets on the game can get complicated.
There are more than a dozen available bets, ranging from the probable to the rarely seen.
You can bet on the most popular low or high totals (the total amount of the three dice adds up to 4 to 10 or 11 to 17, respectively), odds or evens (the total amount adds up to an odd or even number), two or three of a kind, that one specific number will appear on at least one of the dice and more.
In Macao, bets can get granular. For example, in some casinos players can bet on four-number combinations. For these, they choose any four-number combination using four different numbers, such as 1-2-3-4. If the roll matches three of the chosen numbers (1-2-3, 1-2-4, 1-3-4, or 2-3-4) the player wins.
The house advantage varies from bet to bet. It starts at 2.78 percent for high-low bets (both high and low bets lose if the dice show three of a kind).
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The odds get worse, and significantly so.
The least likely outcome you can bet on is three-of-a-kind (for example, three 5s). There’s a 1 in 216 chance of winning such a bet. The house pays out 150 to 1 if you get lucky and win, though.
The house also enjoys a whopping 47.2 percent advantage on bets that the three-dice total will add up to either 5 or 16.
Is there any strategy to this? In a word, no. Grab a seat, place your bet and have fun responsibly.
Why is it so popular?
Beyond the sheer simplicity of the gameplay, there are superstitions players can apply to sic bo.
Like punters combining their luck in baccarat or believing that folding the cards can change the numbers, those who bet on sic bo might believe in lucky numbers or the power of momentum.
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The strong cultural ties to China help to explain its popularity, too. The game may have been played thousands of years ago, during one of China’s most prosperous eras. It’s little wonder Chinese punters might appreciate this rich, time-honoured legacy.
