Sic Bo in Macau

The second most popular table game in Macau, Sic Bo is beloved by the superstitious Chinese, who eat up games with betting histories and trends.  I’ve always found it tremendously boring though, and bad as well, with the best bet on the table carrying a very unimpressive 2.78% house edge.

Sic Bo in Macau: What to watch out for

I believe there are 4 Sic Bo bets in Macau that aren’t available anywhere else in the world, making it pretty important that we cover them here now.  I snuffed them out at the Sands Macao about a decade ago, and they’re still there today. 

As is the case with most Sic Bo wagers, they’re not much to get excited about, because they’re all lousy.

I) Three number combination, like 1-2-5, or 2-3-5.  All three numbers must hit to win.  It pays out 20-1, with a house edge of 13.89%.

II) Three number combination, one of which is doubled, like 1-1-4 or 2-2-5.  Winning numbers must match that exact combination.  It pays out 50-1, with a house edge of 29.17%.

III) Two number combination like 1-6, 3-4, 4-5 etc.  Bet wins so long as both numbers are rolled.  3-4 would win, for example, on rolls of 1-3-4, 2-3-4, 3-3-4, 3-4-4, 3-4-5, and 3-4-6.  This bet pays out 5-1 for a house edge of 16.67%.

IV) Four number combination, with only these four options available: 1-2-3-4, 2-3-4-5, 2-3-5-6, 3-4-5-6.  Player wins so long as all three numbers come up.  As an example, 1-2-3-4 would only win with only 1-2-3, 1-2-4, 1-3-4, and 2-3-4.  This bet pays out 15-1 for a house edge of 11.11%.

Excluding the 1-1 bets like Even/Odd and Big/Small which have a house edge of 2.78%, the next 5 best Sic Bo wagers are:

1) Any Number – 1 to 6 – It pays 1 to 1 (1 number), 2 to 1 (2 numbers), 3 to 1 (3 numbers).  House Edge: 7.87%

2) 7/14 – Pays 12 to 1.  House Edge: 9.72%

3) Four number combination (see IV above) – It pays 15-1.  House Edge: 11.11%

4) 8/13 and 10/11 – Pays 8-1 and 6-1 respectively.  House Edge: 12.5%

5) Three number combination (see I above) – It pays 20-1.  House Edge: 13.89%.

You’d be a fool to bet on any of them though.

Sic Bo in Macau: Advice and Strategy

One of the worst games in the casino, just leave Sic Bo to the mainland Chinese.  The best bets are Big/Small and Even/Odd, both of which pay 1-1, for a house advantage of 2.78%. 

If you want to play a dice game, a much better option is Craps, which is a lot more fun anyway. 

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