Live Dealer Sic Bo – Comparison of all versions, Strategy, Payouts, Where to Play
Introduction to Live Sic Bo
Sic Bo is a dice game that's played with three dice and offers plenty of betting options - some even have win multipliers. The playing experience can be compared to craps, or roulette to a lesser degree.
This traditional game is very popular with Asian players it is the second most popular game to Baccarat in casinos in Macau.
The game originated in China and can now be seen in casinos across America and the United Kingdom.
Sic Bo in Chinese means "Dice Pair" and is sometimes known as tai sai, dai siu, big and small, or Hi-Lo. In online live casinos, it is only known as Sic Bo.
The game is a simple one. Three dice are rolled and the player predicts the outcome of the dice roll, in many different ways - will the number be odd or even, small or big, will a certain number come up, what will the totals be, and much more. This is where the fun lies in Sic Bo.
Versions of Live Sic Bo
There are two versions of the online live dealer Sic Bo.
The traditional game, Sic Bo, can be found at live casino suppliers, Playtech, Ezugi, Pragmatic Play and XPG.
Then there's Super Sic Bo, which Evolution provides, Sic Bo Deluxe by Playtech, Mega Sic Bo by Pragmatic Play and Ultimate Sic Bo by Ezugi.
These versions include the addition of random Multipliers (up to 1000x) applied to some of the betting positions after betting has closed.
The other difference between the two types is the Payout Odds. The original game has better base payouts than the versions with win multipliers. The reason is simple: the lower payouts in the base game are used to fund the multipliers.
Neil’s Top Casinos For Live Sic Bo
Live Sic Bo Betting
You can bet on all sorts of number combinations; most of this article will explain them.
If you're a regular Sic Bo player, you'll notice some of the bets you'd make in the casino are not represented here.
This article relates to Live Dealer Sic Bo, modified slightly for play at online live casinos.
If you'd like more information, you can read about the full range of Sic Bo bets at Wikipedia.
The payouts are not included because each live casino provider has their own pay table, so you'll find differences. You can view them in the table below.
Small / Big
Small - You bet on whether the total of the three dice is between 4 and 10, inclusive.
Big - You bet on whether the total of the three dice will be between 11 and 17, inclusive.
If 3 of a kind are rolled, then both bets lose.
Number Bet
You are betting that a particular number will appear on as many dice as possible. If it appears on one dice, you get paid 1:1. Two dice, you're paid 2:1; and three dice, you're paid 3:1 up to 15:1 depending on the supplier.
Pair (or Combination) Bet
You bet on one of 15 possible two-dice combinations out of the three dice, e.g. One and two, Four and six, Five and six. You win if both numbers appear.
Total Bet
Here, you are placing a bet on the total of the three dice added together. Possible combinations range from 4 - 17, with 3 & 18 excluded.
The payouts depend on the number chosen. Typically, they are:
4 or 17 will pay 60 to 1
5 or 16 will pay 30 to 1
6 or 15 will pay 17 to 1
7 or 14 will pay 12 to 1
8 or 13 will pay 8 to 1
9,10,11 or 12 will pay 6 to 1
Double (or Domino) Bet - Pays 10:1
You are betting that a specific pair will appear in the three dice, e.g. a pair of Fours or a pair of Fives.
Triple Bet
You are betting that a specific 3 of a kind or Triple will appear in the three dice, e.g. 3 Threes or 3 Sixes.
Any Triple
You don't have to name the triple in this bet. You are just betting that any triple will appear on the three dice.
Live Sic Bo with Win Multipliers
Playtech, Evolution, Pragmatic Play and Ezugi developed versions of Live Sic Bo in which they apply random win multipliers to bets, so you have a chance to win much more than if you play the standard version.
This comes at an expense of reduced base payouts, but not in all cases, as you can see in the table below.
Sic Bo Payout Comparison
I'll compare payouts of different versions of live Sic Bo.
For players who prefer larger payouts and don't want the multipliers, it makes sense to play Pragmatic Sic Bo. Ezugi Sic Bo has slightly lower payouts, followed by Playtech Live Sic Bo.
Playing Playtech Sic Bo Deluxe makes sense for everyone else, as it has the largest win multipliers.
Please refer to the table below for more information. Pragmatic Sic Bo, Ezugi Live Sic Bo and Playtech Live Sic Bo are standard games, while the three on the right (Super Sic Bo, Mega Sic Bo and Sic Bo Deluxe) are games with win multipliers. All three games have the same base payouts, listed in the middle column.
Ezugi Ultimate Sic Bo, another game with win multipliers, isn't listed individually - it has the same payouts as Evolution Super Sic Bo.
| Bet | Pragmatic Live Sic Bo | Ezugi Live Sic Bo | Playtech Live Sic Bo | Base Payouts in Multiplier games | Evolution Super Sic Bo | Pragmatic Play Mega Sic Bo | Playtech Sic Bo Deluxe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small / Big | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Odd / Even | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Total | 4 or 17 pays 70:1 5 or 16 pays 34:1 6 or 15 pays 20:1 7 or 14 pays 13:1 8 or 13 pays 9:1 9 or 12 pays 7:1 10 or 11 pays 6:1 | 62:1 31:1 18:1 12:1 8:1 7:1 6:1 | 60:1 30:1 17:1 12:1 8:1 6:1 6:1 | 50:1 20:1 15:1 12:1 8:1 6:1 6:1 | up to 499:1 up to 249:1 up to 87:1 up to 29:1 up to 24:1 up to 49:1 up to 24:1 | up to 499:1 up to 249:1 up to 149:1 up to 29:1 up to 24:1 up to 49:1 up to 24:1 | up to 499:1 up to 299:1 up to 99:1 up to 39:1 up to 34:1 up to 29:1 up to 24:1 |
| Any One Number | Single pays 1:1 Double pays 2:1 Triple pays 15:1 | 1:1 2:1 12:1 | 1:1 2:1 3:1 | 1:1 2:1 3:1 | 1:1 up to 19:1 up to 87:1 | 1:1 up to 19:1 up to 87:1 | 1:1 up to 24:1 up to 87:1 |
| Double (Domino) | 12:1 | 8:1 | 10:1 | 8:1 | up to 87:1 | up to 87:1 | up to 87:1 |
| Triple (Specfic) | 210:1 | 180:1 | 180:1 | 150:1 | up to 999:1 | up to 999:1 | up to 999:1 |
| Any Triple | 34:1 | 30:1 | 30:1 | 30:1 | up to 87:1 | up to 87:1 | up to 87:1 |
| Combination | 6:1 | 5:1 | 6:1 | 5:1 | up to 24:1 | up to 24:1 | up to 24:1 |
| Play At | Leo Vegas | Leo Vegas | Bet Victor | Leo Vegas | Leo Vegas | Bet Victor |
Sic Bo Return to Player (RTP) and Win Probability
Sic Bo has individual win probabilities for each specific bet, as well as individual RTP values for each of those bets. As payouts can differ between different game providers and different games, as we see in the section above, RTP varies as well.
Small/Big and Odd/Even bets have an RTP of 97.22% regardless of the Sic Bo game you play. The probability of winning is always 48.61% and the payout is always 1:1.
Single bet has a base RTP of 92.13%. This is probably the best bet to make in Sic Bo, especially in Sic Bo with multipliers. Playtech Sic Bo Deluxe gives the largest multipliers for a Double.
Totals bets usually have an RTP in the high 80s, in the case of Sic Bo games with standard payouts. In Sic Bo games with multipliers, some totals become a worse game while the others become a more profitable one. This is the case with totals 7|14, 8|13 and 10|11 as they retain their standard payout in multiplier games, but with an added chance of landing the multiplier. This gets even better when you play Playtech's Sic Bo Deluxe, as it has the highest multipliers for those bets.
The Double or Domino bet is similar to a single bet. While with a Single bet you win 2:1 if two of the dice show your number, with a Double bet you win 5:1 but don't get anything if one dice shows your number. The same goes for a Triple bet, which pays 150:1 on a specific number or 30:1 on any number. House edge on these bets is huge, from 15% to 30%.
Dice Combination bet is won when two of the dice show the specific combination you picked, e.g. 3 and 4. House edge is around 15%. If you play a game with win multipliers, then you can land those win multipliers if two or three dice show your number. We can't know how often the multipliers kick in, but still, this is a bet with a decent base RTP and a chance to win big, up to 87:1.
What is the best bet in Sic Bo?
Based on the math I showed you, some bets in Sic Bo are good while playing some others simply doesn't make sense.
Small / Big and Odd / Even are good bets, on par with your standard Roulette even-money bets. RTP is roughly the same, though in Sic Bo you can expect more consistent results with fewer losing streaks since the outcome depends on three events and not just one.
A Single Dice bet is a very good bet to make in Sic Bo. RTP is 92.13% even with base payouts of 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1 respectively, and that's not bad at all.
Among Totals bets, 7 and 14 are the best one as it comes with an RTP of 90.3%. Totals 8|13 and 10|11 have an RTP of 87.5%. If you play all three bets on a Sic Bo game with multipliers, you'll have a fun experience, with decent RTP as well as a chance to win big - up to 39:1 in the case of Playtech Sic Bo Deluxe.
Live Sic Bo Strategy
We already covered the main part of any Sic Bo strategy - look at the payouts, odds and probabilities, and decide which bets are worth playing and which are not.
The most important part of a Live Sic Bo strategy is to play a game with win multipliers, as your experience will be infinitely more fun and potentially more rewarding. Playtech Sic Bo Deluxe is the best one. You can play it at Bet Victor.
Single bets seem to be the most profitable, Small / Big, and Odd / Even most consistent, and total bets are fun to play.
Playing more than one bet increases your chance of landing that win multiplier, so keep that in mind!
Live Sic Bo Software
Several Live Casino developers offer Live Sic Bo. Traditionally it was only Asian facing suppliers that offered the game. However, with globalisation and the thirst for online live dealer games, Sic Bo has become a mainstream game that all suppliers now offer.
In broad terms all the versions are the same, however, Evolution has released its version called Super Sic Bo that offers random 1000x multipliers during the game.
So let's take a quick look at who offers what!
Playtech Live Sic Bo & Sic Bo Deluxe
Playtech Sic Bo has a very old-school feel to it, mainly due to the playing interface.
The game is streamed from Playtechs studios in Manila, Philippines.
There are two camera views available: one is Full Screen, and the other is mixed-mode, suitable for players with less reliable internet connections.
The Table baize is Pink, and a clear domed dice shaker is used to shake the dice.
Sic Bo Deluxe is a Playtech Sic Bo version with Multipliers. It's played on a different table streamed from their Riga studio. Multipliers up to 1000x are possible.
PlayOJO has Playtech Live Sic Bo or Sic Bo Deluxe.
XPG Live Sic Bo
XPG favour a red baize for their version of Sic Bo that uses standard payouts.
As you can see, the game has a modern look and feel to it. The dealers are more European than Asian, which says a lot about the markets that XPG is popular in.
Again a glass-domed shaker is used to "roll" the dice, which the dealer controls from her seat by pressing hidden operational buttons.
Evolution Super Sic Bo
Evolution Super Sic Bo has taken Sic Bo to the next level. Payout Multipliers are added randomly to the betting grid after betting has closed.
If you're betting on the right segment and a multiplier is assigned you could win up to 1000x if the dice roll your way.
The studio is located at Evolution's studios in Riga, Latvia.
The "set" is decorated in the familiar Evolution Asian studio theme, with lots of Reds and Gold.
The Presenter plays no active role in the game as everything is automated, right down to the Dice Shaking in a sealed glass dome.
Watch out for the lower payouts on some betting areas, as these are used to fund the multipliers.
However, the playing experience is nice and the games are quick.
Again a glass-domed shaker is used to "roll" the dice, which the dealer controls from her seat by pressing hidden operational buttons.
You'll find Evolution Super Sic Bo at LeoVegas and Playojo casinos.
Pragmatic Play Mega Sic Bo
Pragmatic Play Mega Sic Bo has win multipliers that pay up to 1000x.
The win multipliers are applied to the betting grid after betting time has closed and are placed randomly across the board.
Each betting option has a designated range for the multipliers that can be applied. See details in the comparison table above.
Pragmatic Sic Bo - the non-multiplier version has the best payouts of any standard version.
LeoVegas and Playojo online casinos have Mega Sic Bo and Sic Bo.
Ezugi Sic Bo and Ultimate Sic Bo
Ezugi has two versions of Sic Bo.
The standard game Ezugi Sic Bo is played with three dice and uses a standard paytable for all payouts.
Another version is Ultimate Sic Bo, which uses a modified paytable that includes the addition of multiplier payouts on randomly selected bet positions.
The maximum payout with a win multiplier is 999:1, which is paid on a Triple bet that pays 150:1 without the multiplier.
There are one or two bet positions that benefit from a standard payout that also receive a multiplier, so it's worth checking out those options here before you play.
FAQ
What is Live Sic Bo?
Live Sic Bo is an online version of the traditional Asian game of Sic Bo that has a live dealer.
Is Live Sic Bo or automated Sic Bo better?
Without a doubt, Live Sic Bo is the superior version of the game. In the automated RNG version, there is no actual dice roll taking place as it’s all computer-generated, which takes a lot of fun out of the game experience.
What is the best bet in Sic Bo?
The best bets in Sic Bo are those that have the highest RTP and the highest chance of winning big. Odd/Even and Small/Big bets come with the lowest house edge, and Number bets are coming in at close second. With win multipliers offered by some Live Sic Bo developers, the Number bet can be very profitable.
Where can I find the best casino for Live Sic Bo?
It’s simple. If you want to play one of two Playtech versions, which is my strong recommendation, go to Bet Victor. For Evolution, Pragmatic Play and Ezugi versions go to LeoVegas.