Sic Bo (Dadu) Guide for Malaysian Players: Bets, Odds and House Edge
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Sic bo’s payout table matters as much as the dice. At the example Macau payouts below, Small has a 2.78% house edge, a specific double at 8:1 has 33.33%, and a total of 5 or 16 at 18:1 has 47.22%. These are expected costs per unit staked, worked out from all 216 outcomes of three fair dice; they are not session predictions, and no single paytable applies to every table.
The 30-second version
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is sic bo? | Three dice in a shaker. You bet on what they show. Also called dadu, tai sai or dai siu. |
| Cheapest bets | Small, Big, Odd, Even: 2.78% each, at 1:1 with the stated triple-loss rules — RM27.78 per RM1,000 staked |
| Specific double | 11.11% at 11:1, 18.52% at 10:1, 33.33% at 8:1 |
| Highest edge in these examples | Total of 5 or 16 at 18:1 (Macau): 47.22% |
| Are there any decisions? | No. You choose a bet, then you watch. |
| Does a betting system help? | No. Every shake is independent, and no sequence of bets changes any edge. |
| Do paytables vary? | Yes, a lot. A total of 9 costs 7.41% at 7:1 and 18.98% at 6:1. |
Sic bo rules: how the game works
Three standard six-sided dice sit in a sealed shaker. The dealer shakes, the dice settle, and every bet on the layout is settled at once against what the three dice show. Then it happens again. There are no cards to draw, no decisions after the bet is placed, and nothing you do between rounds affects the next one.
Unlike blackjack, sic bo has no hit-or-stand decision. You select bets before the roll. Compared with standard roulette, its common bets have a much wider range of expected costs.
The classic bet types used in the calculations below are:
- Small / Big — the total of the three dice is 4–10 (Small) or 11–17 (Big). Both lose to any triple.
- Odd / Even — the total is odd or even. Both lose to any triple.
- Total — one of fourteen squares labelled 4 to 17. Payouts vary by total.
- Single number — a face from one to six. You win if one, two or three dice show it, and the more dice that match, the more you are paid.
- Double — at least two dice show your chosen number.
- Specific triple — all three dice show your chosen number.
- Any triple — all three dice match, whatever the number.
- Combination — one of fifteen pairs of two different numbers; you win if both appear.
Sic bo is also known as tai sai or dai siu. This guide uses “dadu” as a familiar Malay dice label; it is not the name of a separate mathematical ruleset.
The 216 outcomes: where every figure below comes from
Three fair six-sided dice have 6 × 6 × 6 = 216 equally likely ordered outcomes. This is our model for the classic tables below; multiplier games require their additional payout rules and probabilities.
The spread of the three-dice total explains most of the paytable:
| Total | Ways to make it (out of 216) | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| 3 or 18 | 1 each | 0.46% |
| 4 or 17 | 3 each | 1.39% |
| 5 or 16 | 6 each | 2.78% |
| 6 or 15 | 10 each | 4.63% |
| 7 or 14 | 15 each | 6.94% |
| 8 or 13 | 21 each | 9.72% |
| 9 or 12 | 25 each | 11.57% |
| 10 or 11 | 27 each | 12.50% |
Those sixteen totals account for all 216 outcomes. Totals 3 and 18 are left out of Small and Big, and that exclusion, together with the triples, is exactly where the house edge on the cheapest bets comes from.
The bets, and what each one costs
Small, Big, Odd, Even: the 2.78% family
Small wins on a total of 4 to 10. Big wins on 11 to 17. Both lose to any triple (three matching dice), which removes totals 3 and 18 and also the triples that fall inside the 4–17 range.
Counting from the 216: totals 4 through 10 account for 3 + 6 + 10 + 15 + 21 + 25 + 27 = 107 outcomes. Two of those are triples: 2-2-2 (total 6) and 3-3-3 (total 9). 1-1-1 totals 3 and is already outside the range. That leaves 105 winning outcomes out of 216. Big is the mirror image: 107 outcomes for totals 11 to 17, minus 4-4-4 and 5-5-5, leaves 105.
Expected value on a RM1 bet: (105 ÷ 216) × RM1 − (111 ÷ 216) × RM1 = −RM0.0278. House edge 2.78%. Odd and Even work the same way: 108 outcomes each before triples, 105 after, and the same 2.78%.
RM1,000 of Small bets has an expected cost of RM27.78 under these rules. For comparison, standard single-zero roulette costs RM27.03 and standard eight-deck baccarat Banker costs about RM10.60 after 5% commission.
Three published paytables, side by side
Wizard of Odds publishes three example paytables labelled Macau, Atlantic City and Australia. The table below keeps those labels for reference, not as a guarantee of current regional rules. Each cell shows net payout and the house edge calculated from the dice outcomes. Match both payout and settlement conditions to the table you are assessing.
| Bet | Wins on (of 216) | Macau | Atlantic City | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small / Big | 105 | 1:1 → 2.78% | 1:1 → 2.78% | 1:1 → 2.78% |
| Odd / Even | 105 | 1:1 → 2.78% | not listed | not listed |
| Total 4 or 17 | 3 | 50:1 → 29.17% | 60:1 → 15.28% | 62:1 → 12.50% |
| Total 5 or 16 | 6 | 18:1 → 47.22% | 30:1 → 13.89% | 31:1 → 11.11% |
| Total 6 or 15 | 10 | 14:1 → 30.56% | 17:1 → 16.67% | 18:1 → 12.04% |
| Total 7 or 14 | 15 | 12:1 → 9.72% | 12:1 → 9.72% | 12:1 → 9.72% |
| Total 8 or 13 | 21 | 8:1 → 12.50% | 8:1 → 12.50% | 8:1 → 12.50% |
| Total 9 or 12 | 25 | 6:1 → 18.98% | 6:1 → 18.98% | 7:1 → 7.41% |
| Total 10 or 11 | 27 | 6:1 → 12.50% | 6:1 → 12.50% | 6:1 → 12.50% |
| Single number (1, 2 or 3 dice match) | 91 | 1/2/3 to 1 → 7.87% | 1/2/3 to 1 → 7.87% | 1/2/12 to 1 → 3.70% |
| Combination (two named numbers) | 30 | 5:1 → 16.67% | 5:1 → 16.67% | 6:1 → 2.78% |
| Specific double | 16 | 8:1 → 33.33% | 10:1 → 18.52% | 11:1 → 11.11% |
| Any triple | 6 | 24:1 → 30.56% | 30:1 → 13.89% | 31:1 → 11.11% |
| Specific triple | 1 | 150:1 → 30.09% | 180:1 → 16.20% | 180:1 → 16.20% |
Small, Big, Odd and Even cost 2.78% only when they pay 1:1 and lose on triples; check that even if the bet name looks familiar.
The combination bet wins when both of two named numbers appear: 30 of 216 outcomes. At 6:1 its edge is 2.78%; at 5:1 it is 16.67%. The paytables are not interchangeable just because they label the bet the same way.
A total of 5 or 16 at 18:1 is particularly costly. Each total has six winning outcomes out of 216. A fair net payout would be 35:1; at 18:1 the edge is 47.22%, or RM472.22 expected loss per RM1,000 staked. At 30:1 the edge falls to 13.89%, and at 31:1 to 11.11%.
Totals 9 and 12: one payout line changes everything
A total of 9 or 12 has 25 winning outcomes. At 6:1 its house edge is 18.98%; at 7:1 it is 7.41%. This is why a guide needs the payout, not just the name of the bet.
Multiplier sic bo: read the paytable, not the headline
Evolution’s Super Sic Bo and Ezugi’s Ultimate Sic Bo add randomly assigned multipliers, with advertised maximums of 1,000x. Evolution also offers First Person Super Sic Bo in software form. These products need their own payout models; the classic tables above do not establish their per-bet returns.
Evolution's pages for these games state no RTP and no per-bet paytable (read 13 October 2026). If you see 97.22% quoted for sic bo, it is 100% − 2.78%, the classic Small/Big figure: not the return on every bet or on a multiplier version. Our RTP and house-edge glossary explains why the scope of an advertised return matters.
Read both the base payout and the multiplier rules. Our roulette guide gives a separate example where Lightning Roulette reduces non-multiplied straight-up payouts. That is not evidence that every sic bo product makes the same adjustment.
Strategy: what works, and what is myth
Bet selection changes expected cost; stake size and the number of rounds change total exposure. Neither creates a guaranteed winning system.
| Tactic | Does it work? | What it actually does |
|---|---|---|
| Betting only Small, Big, Odd or Even | Yes | 2.78% under the stated classic rules; check payout and triple treatment |
| Comparing combination payouts | Yes | 2.78% at 6:1; the same square costs 16.67% at 5:1 |
| Reading the paytable before the first bet | Yes | Tells you whether a total of 9 costs 7.41% or 18.98% |
| Refusing doubles and triples | Yes | Avoids bets that cost at least 11% on all three paytables |
| Flat betting and a loss limit | Neutral on edge | Fixes exposure per bet; limits spending if followed |
| Martingale and other progressions | No | No edge reduction; rising stakes can exhaust funds |
| “Due” totals and roadmap patterns | No | The dice have no memory |
| Equal stakes on Big and Small in the same round | No | Loses both on every triple; the edge is 2.78% of the combined stakes, with no net winning round |
Count your turnover, not your bets. Say you bet RM10 a round and play 40 rounds an hour (an assumption; tables vary). That is RM400 an hour through the game. On Small it costs RM11.11 an hour on average. On a specific double at 8:1 it costs RM133.33. On a total of 5 at the Macau price of 18:1 it costs RM188.89.
Why Martingale fails here too
Assuming independent fair rolls, Small loses on 111 of 216 outcomes. Seven consecutive losses have probability (111/216)7, about 0.95%. The chance of at least one such run is about 36% over 100 rounds and 69% over 250. At a RM10 starting stake, seven full losses in a doubling sequence cost RM1,270 and call for RM1,280 next. Our roulette guide shows the stake sequence. A short session can win, but the progression does not remove the edge.
Why the roadmap is not a signal
Evolution's First Person Super Sic Bo page says its last nine results “can help you guide your betting choices”. They cannot: with fair independent dice, a total of 9 still has probability 25/216 on the next roll, even if it has been absent for 40 rounds. A previous run is not evidence that a total is due.
Triples, which sink Small and Big, are not rare enough to plan around either. Over 40 rounds, the chance that at least one triple lands is about 68%. Waiting for a triple to be “used up” before betting Small changes nothing: the next shake has the same 6-in-216 chance of a triple as every other.
Covering the board
Covering more squares can increase the chance of some payout, but a payout is not necessarily a net profit across all your bets. Adding extra stakes increases exposure; splitting the same total stake is different. Equal bets on Small and Big break even on non-triples and lose both stakes on triples: the expected loss is 2.78% of the combined amount staked.
Sic bo and casino bonuses
Before accepting a promotion, check game eligibility, contribution rate, maximum stake and restrictions on opposing bets. Ranked casinos' terms, read 12 October 2026:
- Dafabet's casino welcome counts sic bo at 5%, so each RM1 of wagering progress needs RM20 of bets: at Small's 2.78% edge, about 56 sen of expected cost per RM1 of progress.
- BK8's welcome terms do not count bets "made on opposite sides with the same outcome", and GOD55's welcome excludes bets "placed on two opposite sides". Big and Small in the same round is the obvious example.
This is not a promise of bonus completion or withdrawal value. Our wagering and rollover guide explains the conditions.
Sic bo and Malaysian law: the game is named in the statute
The First Schedule to the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, headed “Bankers’ Games”, lists TAI SAI at item 12 (“Tai Sai staking board”, “Three dice”, “A cup and saucer or similar container”) and SEK POH, also played with three dice, at item 15. The same list names roulette (item 5), Black Jack or Twenty One (item 20) and Bacarat (item 22). Why it matters:
- Section 2 defines a common gaming house to include a place “where any bankers’ game is being played”.
- Section 3A(2) says the prosecution need only prove “that the game being played is a bankers’ game”, without proving which one.
- Section 6(1), like section 6(1) of the Betting Act 1953, penalises players: a fine up to RM5,000, up to six months' jail, or both.
In October 2023 the Court of Appeal upheld convictions for online gambling on laptops, including a player convicted under section 6(1) (Bernama). An offshore licence is not a Malaysian one. This is the statute's text, not legal advice; our Malaysian gambling-law guide and live-game and licence glossary give more context.
Where you will meet sic bo online
Provider product pages illustrate the game formats; they do not confirm availability at every operator. Our live casino Malaysia guide covers provider and lobby checks.
Check the exact table’s payout and help panels, including on a different table from the same studio. Do not infer the rules from a lobby tile.
Game mathematics does not establish that an operator will honour withdrawals. Our Malaysia casino comparison records separate operator findings and licence limitations.
Play it as entertainment
Set an affordable loss limit before playing and stop when you reach it. Do not chase losses. Our responsible gambling resources list practical support options. Befrienders KL offers emotional support on +603-7627 2929, 24 hours daily. Gambling Therapy provides free online support internationally. This content is for readers aged 18 and over.
If you suspect a financial scam, call your bank and NSRC 997 promptly, then lodge a police report anyway: a 997 call does not replace it, and the NFCC's NSRC page asks for the report within 24 hours. Official listings differ on 997's hours (NFCC: 8am to 8pm; malaysia.gov.my: 24 hours), so use your bank's 24-hour line if you cannot get through. A delayed withdrawal alone does not prove fraud. PDRM’s Semak Mule checks reported account or phone-number records; an empty result is not a safety guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
Sic bo, also called dadu, tai sai or dai siu, is a dice game played with three six-sided dice in a shaker. You bet on what the dice will show (a range, a total, a pair or a triple), and every bet settles at once with no further decisions.
On the example paytables, Small, Big, Odd and Even cost 2.78% when they pay 1:1 and lose on triples. A two-number combination costs 2.78% at 6:1 but 16.67% at 5:1, so check the exact paytable.
It depends on the bet and the paytable: from 2.78% on Small, Big, Odd and Even to 33.33% on a specific double at 8:1 and 47.22% on a total of 5 or 16 at 18:1. There is no single figure.
A session can finish ahead, but every example paytable has a negative expected value. A lower-edge bet reduces the expected cost; no progression changes independent dice.
A camera stream alone does not prove fairness; check the provider and its certification (see our live, RNG and licence glossary). Our figures assume fair dice and do not certify any operator's game.
The triple rule is part of the edge: each range has 107 outcomes, two of them excluded triples, leaving 105 wins and 111 losses (2.78%). Even if those triples paid, totals 3 and 18 stay outside both ranges and the edge would be 0.93%.
Tai Sai is listed in the First Schedule of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, and section 6(1) penalises players with a fine up to RM5,000, up to six months' jail, or both. In October 2023 the Court of Appeal upheld convictions for online gambling, and an offshore licence is not a Malaysian one.
No staking progression changes fair dice probabilities or the payout edge. It changes how much you stake and how a session ends, never the expected cost per ringgit.
Sources
All figures, rules and statute quotations were checked against these sources on 13 October 2026; casino terms were read on 12 October 2026.
- Wizard of Odds: sic bo, Macau, Atlantic City and Australia paytables. We enumerated all 216 outcomes and recalculated every cell.
- Attorney General's Chambers: Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 (sections 2, 3A, 6(1); First Schedule) and Betting Act 1953 (section 6(1)).
- Evolution: Super Sic Bo announcement, First Person Super Sic Bo, Ezugi Ultimate Sic Bo and Lightning Roulette. Product features are not evidence of casino availability.
- Scam guidance: malaysia.gov.my NSRC listing and the NFCC page.
Editorial Note: Felix McCoy
Read more articles and editorial information on the author profile.