Did I Break Sic Bo?
January 28th, 2026 at 10:59:02 PM
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Hey everyone,
Please help me understand where I am going wrong.
In Sic Bo (and Chuck-a-Luck), three dice are rolled and for each result that comes up, players who placed bets on those individual numbers (1-6) get a payout according to how often that number came up on the three dice.
One result is 1:1
Two is 2:1
Three is 3:1
Some tables offer payouts as high as 12:1 for triples. Because the odds of triples is so low, the house edge is maintained.
But what if you placed $10 on every number (1-6). Then on every result you are breaking even, since you’re guaranteed to win on three of your bets and lose on the other three. But in the event of triples, you are gaining a massive 12:1 payout.
How is the house edge maintained given this work around? It seems like tables which offer higher than 3:1 odds for triples on the “one of a kind” (Wizard of odds calls it the any one number bet) cannot also allow you to bet on all six numbers.
Thanks in advance for your help so I don’t break the bank trying this in the real world.
Please help me understand where I am going wrong.
In Sic Bo (and Chuck-a-Luck), three dice are rolled and for each result that comes up, players who placed bets on those individual numbers (1-6) get a payout according to how often that number came up on the three dice.
One result is 1:1
Two is 2:1
Three is 3:1
Some tables offer payouts as high as 12:1 for triples. Because the odds of triples is so low, the house edge is maintained.
But what if you placed $10 on every number (1-6). Then on every result you are breaking even, since you’re guaranteed to win on three of your bets and lose on the other three. But in the event of triples, you are gaining a massive 12:1 payout.
How is the house edge maintained given this work around? It seems like tables which offer higher than 3:1 odds for triples on the “one of a kind” (Wizard of odds calls it the any one number bet) cannot also allow you to bet on all six numbers.
Thanks in advance for your help so I don’t break the bank trying this in the real world.
January 28th, 2026 at 11:48:43 PM
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You lose $10 every time a pair is rolled
“Man Babes” #AxelFabulous
January 29th, 2026 at 12:41:08 AM
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Quote: Montross300Hey everyone,
Please help me understand where I am going wrong.
In Sic Bo (and Chuck-a-Luck), three dice are rolled and for each result that comes up, players who placed bets on those individual numbers (1-6) get a payout according to how often that number came up on the three dice.
One result is 1:1
Two is 2:1
Three is 3:1
Some tables offer payouts as high as 12:1 for triples. Because the odds of triples is so low, the house edge is maintained.
But what if you placed $10 on every number (1-6). Then on every result you are breaking even, since you’re guaranteed to win on three of your bets and lose on the other three. But in the event of triples, you are gaining a massive 12:1 payout.
How is the house edge maintained given this work around? It seems like tables which offer higher than 3:1 odds for triples on the “one of a kind” (Wizard of odds calls it the any one number bet) cannot also allow you to bet on all six numbers.
Thanks in advance for your help so I don’t break the bank trying this in the real world.
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You aren't guaranteed to win on three of your singles bets.
If the dice has a double say, 2,2,3 then you win $30 ($10 on the 3 and $20 on the double two,) however you lose $40 ($10 apiece )on the 1, 4, 5 ,6.
For Whom the bus tolls; The bus tolls for thee
January 29th, 2026 at 8:05:14 AM
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Here's what happens if you bet $10 on every number, with three of a kind paying 12-1:
Of the 216 possible rolls:
120 have three different numbers - you win $30 on the three numbers that came up, and lose $30 on the three that do not, so you break even.
90 have a pair and a third number - you win $20 on the pair, win $10 on the third number, and lose $40 on the four numbers you did not roll, so you lose $10
6 are three of a kind - you win $120 for that number, and lose $50 on the five numbers you did not roll, so you win $70.
Over 216 rolls, the expected return is 120 x 0 + 90 x (-10) + 6 x 70 = -480.
If three of a kind pays N-1, then you lose 900 on the pairs and gain 6N on the threes of a kind, so any odds less than 15-1 result in a positive house edge.
Of the 216 possible rolls:
120 have three different numbers - you win $30 on the three numbers that came up, and lose $30 on the three that do not, so you break even.
90 have a pair and a third number - you win $20 on the pair, win $10 on the third number, and lose $40 on the four numbers you did not roll, so you lose $10
6 are three of a kind - you win $120 for that number, and lose $50 on the five numbers you did not roll, so you win $70.
Over 216 rolls, the expected return is 120 x 0 + 90 x (-10) + 6 x 70 = -480.
If three of a kind pays N-1, then you lose 900 on the pairs and gain 6N on the threes of a kind, so any odds less than 15-1 result in a positive house edge.
January 29th, 2026 at 9:14:30 AM
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I discovered Sic Bo in 1999 and developed a progression that worked every time. My first two sessions were $1 bets, and I made over $50 in each three-hour session. My next session was $5, and I cleared $800. Three more sessions followed, all profitable but nowhere near $800. I showed my system to my uncle, who had taught high school math for twenty years before going into private banking.
He listened as I described my foolproof system, and then he drove a hole into all my assumptions. I privately decided he should stick to banking and went back to AC. The next session, I was up a few hundred when a bad run wiped me out. I decided I was underfunded, so I returned the next week with three times the bankroll. Two very choppy sessions and a very bad one followed.
I'd written about my system on the WOO, and a few people thought I might be on to something until someone brought up the same points my Uncle made, and then Mr. Wizard weighed in and settled it. It turns out it works well most of the time, but it didn't overcome the house edge. It was a learning experience: past performance doesn't matter on independent rolls, but it does in blackjack. That set me on an interesting detour in life.
He listened as I described my foolproof system, and then he drove a hole into all my assumptions. I privately decided he should stick to banking and went back to AC. The next session, I was up a few hundred when a bad run wiped me out. I decided I was underfunded, so I returned the next week with three times the bankroll. Two very choppy sessions and a very bad one followed.
I'd written about my system on the WOO, and a few people thought I might be on to something until someone brought up the same points my Uncle made, and then Mr. Wizard weighed in and settled it. It turns out it works well most of the time, but it didn't overcome the house edge. It was a learning experience: past performance doesn't matter on independent rolls, but it does in blackjack. That set me on an interesting detour in life.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
January 29th, 2026 at 12:30:11 PM
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Thank you all very much! I knew I was wrong but for the life of me could not figure out how. Losing $10 when you roll doubles is very counter-intuitive to me, but once you see it everything falls into place. I couldn't get Chat GPT to explain this to me in a way I could understand, and youtube/google were not helpful either.
The breakdown of all the outcomes and EV was also very nice. I really wish I was better at math. It's so fascinating, but not intuitive to me at all.
Very cool community here, I never expected such a quick answer let alone the handful of answers I got.
The breakdown of all the outcomes and EV was also very nice. I really wish I was better at math. It's so fascinating, but not intuitive to me at all.
Very cool community here, I never expected such a quick answer let alone the handful of answers I got.
