How to play Sic Bo: bets & payouts
Tai Sai, Dai Siu, Big and Small
Sic Bo is an ancient Chinese betting game still played in Macau's casinos. Everyone bets on the outcome of three dice before they are rolled: pure luck, great with a group.
- Players
- 1 to 8 (solo friendly)
- Length
- ≈ 20 min
- Difficulty
- Strategic
- What you need
- 3 standard 6-sided dice.
How to play
Ancient Chinese dice betting game. Players place bets on the outcome of 3 dice, then dice are rolled. Pure chance game, great for groups.
Bet types
- Big (total 11-17) or Small (total 4-10): pays 1:1.
- Exact total (e.g. total = 9): variable payout (6:1 to 60:1).
- Double (2 matching): pays 10:1.
- Triple (3 matching): pays 30:1.
- Specific number (appears on 1, 2 or 3 dice): pays 1:1 to 3:1.
Winning
No outright winner: it's a betting game. Player with the most points/tokens at the end wins.
| Bet | Pays |
|---|---|
| Big (11-17) or Small (4-10) | 1 to 1 |
| Exact total | 6 to 1 up to 60 to 1 |
| Specific double | 10 to 1 |
| Specific triple | 30 to 1 |
| Single number (on 1, 2 or 3 dice) | 1, 2 or 3 to 1 |
What does Sic Bo mean?
"Precious dice" in Cantonese. It's also called Tai Sai or Dai Siu, "big and small".
Does a triple win on Big or Small?
Not in casinos: triples make Big and Small bets lose. Among friends, decide before you play.
Can you play Sic Bo without money?
Yes, with tokens or points. Whoever has the most at the end wins.
Let Bone keep score
You roll real dice, Bone keeps the sheet: totals, bonuses and rankings for up to 8 players on one phone. Free, no ads, no account, in English and French.
Yahtzee, Pass the Pigs, Zombie Dice, Tenzi and the other game names mentioned are trademarks of their respective owners. Bone is not affiliated with any of them; these pages describe the rules to help you play.