Sicbo Australia
Sometimes, a popular casino favorite can be tweaked in a way that gives it a regional or national twist, turning it into a slight variation that’s especially popular in a few locations. In other cases, a name is just a name, and a game that goes by an unusual moniker will be intimately familiar once you try playing it.
Sicbo Australia is largely in the latter camp. While the game takes the name of the Land Down Under, there’s nothing here that differentiates this from any other sic bo table you’ll find anywhere in the world – only with some relatively favorable payouts that are common in casinos in that country. Still, this is a solid recreation of this Asian favorite, and should satisfy anyone that’s already a fan of this classic dice game, which bears some resemblance to roulette.
On A Roll
Sicbo Australia is a creation of InBet, and can be found at online casinos that use their software. If you’re familiar with other sic bo games, this layout will look familiar to you: presented on a purple backdrop, you’ll find all of the familiar betting areas available to you. The layout is large, and the boxes provide for easy reading of each potential wager, making it unlikely that you’ll be confused about where you’re laying chips or make any mistakes.
If you haven’t played this ancient Chinese game, a little bit of explanation is in order. The game is played with three standard six-sided dice. Players can make a variety of wagers based on the outcome of a roll of these dice. You can bet on the total, the exact numbers that will be rolled, and many other combinations, all of which offer different odds and payouts. Players have full freedom of choice: they can make as many or as few bets as they like.
In a typical casino version of the game, all players place their bets before the game’s dealer waves off further betting and spills the dice out of a tumbler. Based on the results, all winning bets are paid out, while losing wagers are collected by the casino. In this online version, you’ll be able to set the pace of play yourself: you can take as much time as you’d like in order to choose what you want to wager on, then trigger the roll when you’re ready.
From 3 to 18
If you’ve never played sic bo before, you’ll probably be surprised at just how many options you have for betting. At first glance, the layout can look rather intimidating, and there’s not always a ton of explanation when it comes to what each of these bets mean. Luckily, most of these options are fairly easy to understand once you’ve had them explained.
First, there are the simple bets that allow you to wager on what the exact total of the three dice will be. You can only bet on totals between 4 and 17 in this way; 3 and 18 are available on another part of the layout. The odds on each of these bets varies based on how likely it is for a total to be rolled, with numbers in the middle being more likely than those that are high or low. The payouts are as follows:
- 10 or 11: 6-1
- 9 or 12: 7-1
- 8 or 13: 8-1
- 7 or 14: 12-1
- 6 or 15: 18-1
- 5 or 16: 31-1
- 4 or 17: 62-1
Many of these payouts may be slightly higher than you’re used to seeing in casinos in other parts of the world, particularly in the United States or Macau. That said, they are standard in Australian casinos, which explains where this game gets its name.
Another very simple bet – and the one that offers the lowest house edge in this game – is the small/big bet. The small bet pays out at even money on any total of 4-10. Meanwhile, the big bet pays out for 11-17. These bets always lose if the result is a triple (when three of the same number are rolled).
The Triple Double
Speaking of triples, you can bet that these will come, and this offers the chance for some rather large payouts. If you guess a particular triple – say, three fours – and that result comes up, you’ll win at incredible odds of 180-1. If you’d like to be slightly less risky, you can bet on any triple being rolled at 30-1 odds. Betting that two of a particular number comes out is also possible; this is much more likely, of course, and if two of your chosen number hit, you’ll earn 10-1 on your bet.
Another option is betting on a particular number being rolled. This “one of a kind” bet has you choose a particular number; you will be paid out based on how many times this number comes up. One match pays 1-1, while two matches pay 2-1. The real treat is if you hit an unlikely triple, which pays out at 12-1. This is one of the places where the improved Australian odds really pay: in most parts of the world, even hitting three of a kind will only earn you 3-1.
Finally, there are combination bets that are known as “domino” bets due to how they look on the table layout. You should a specific two number combination, and you win at 6-1 odds if those two numbers appear somewhere within the three dice that are rolled.
Better Odds Make for a Better Game
That’s pretty much all there is to this game. Sic bo is a fairly straightforward and simple game, despite its appearances, and this version is no exception to that rule. What makes Sicbo Australia unique, then, is that it offers up excellent odds to players, much better than gamblers typically see in many parts of the world.
That alone is enough to make this a highly recommended game for our readers. Yes, sic bo in general does have fairly high house edges compared to most other table games, and this version doesn’t really chance that. But it’s still just about the best version of sic bo you’ll find anywhere in the world, so for fans of this Chinese classic, there’s no better way to play.
