Among different card games and roulette variations, you can also spot a couple of dice games at both brick-and-mortar and virtual casinos. These include craps and Sic Bo, with both of them including the dice element but offering a different gaming experience. Typically, craps is the more popular casino game between the two, with many casino blogs also covering the game and its specifics. That said, there are still many Sic Bo options that cater to the needs of fans of the game.
If you enjoy playing live casino games, you may have noticed that more software providers started offering Sic Bo variations. That indicates that the game is still a favourite pastime to many casino enthusiasts who enjoy dice games.
As the two dice options have different rules, and payouts, and offer different gaming experiences, it may be tough to choose which one to play. If you are interested in how the two games are played and want us to help you choose which one to play, we will make sure to provide everything you need to know about both craps and Sic Bo. After all, you may decide that both games are worth your attention and try both of them next time you are at a land-based casino or simply logged into your virtual casino account.
Craps and Sic Bo Explained in a Nutshell
To be able to draw a comparison between the two dice games, you should be aware of the rules of each game and the goal of each dice casino game. Whether you decide to play craps or Sic Bo at a land-based casino or you prefer playing online, the rules of the game will not differ. However, you may notice some changes in the layouts of the games, especially if you play craps online. Other than that, once you get the main goals of the dice games, you will be able to play them both offline and online.
Craps Rules
Craps is a table game played with two dice and a layout that many newbies find confusing. That said, craps bets are not difficult to understand and you can quickly learn the main goal of the game and how to play this dice casino option. Simply put, the purpose of the game is to roll a number, also referred to as a point, with the dice and roll the same number before a seven appears with a dice roll.
One thing that makes craps a very exciting game is the fact that any player can be the shooter – the person who throws the dice. When a point of the game has been determined, a puck is used to mark the number on the craps layout. If the point is made (the same number rolls out before seven), then the puck is no longer active and the shooter will throw the dice for the come-out roll. That means that a new point will be established. If a seven appears before a point has been made, the dice are handed to a new shooter. The same rules apply to the next shooter.
As you can see, the basic rules of craps are rather simple, but to fully understand the game, you will also need to get familiar with the types of bets you can make in the game.
Pass Line Bet
If you make this type of bet, you will be placing your money on 7 or 11 appearing on the first roll of the dice. If the shooter throws 2, 3, or 12, the bet is lost. Meanwhile, if the dice roll out 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, the point that has been established must appear once more before the shooter throws a seven.
Don’t Pass
This type of bet is won if the first roll reveals 2 or 3. Meanwhile, 12 will be a push and 7 or 11 will lose the bet. If the dice roll 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, the shooter must throw seven before the same number appears again.
Come Bet
The rules that apply to the Come bet are the same as the ones that apply to the Pass Line wager. However, this type of stake is placed once a point has been established.
Don’t Come Bet
This is basically the same type of wager as the Don’t Pass one but it is placed once a point has been established.
Field Bet
This is a one-roll craps bet, which is won if any of the numbers in the Field section of the table’s layout appear. If 2 appears, you are paid double, while 12 will pay triple. If the dice reveal 5, 6, 7, or 8, you lose the Field bet.
Place Bet
This type of wager is made when the shooter makes a point. This bet can be made on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10, with place bets won if the corresponding number appears before a 7. Each place bet has a different payout.
Proposition Bet
This is another one-roll bet that is won when the number you have placed your money on will appear on the next roll of the dice. The different proposition bets and their payouts can be seen in the centre of the craps table.
Hardways
This type of bet is won when the dice roll a pair and is lost if a 7 appears before that or the number you have placed your bet on (hard four, ten, six, or eight) appears “the easy way” (not in a pair).
Hop Bet
This is also a one-roll bet that can be placed on a specific dice formation. The bet is won only if the same combination is thrown on the next dice roll.
Sic Bo Rules
While Sic Bo uses three dice, this type of casino game is rather simple and easy to play. The main goal of the game is to place your money on the possible dice result of the next roll, with bets being won if your guess is correct. There are numerous betting options that one can make on Sic Bo, with various bets offering different payouts.
Every possible type of bet that can be placed in Sic Bo is displayed on the table’s layout, allowing players to choose the option to bet on. Unlike craps, however, Sic Bo does not present the players with the dice, but rather casinos use a dice shaker to determine the combination of the three dice.
Like craps, Sic Bo offers a wide range of possible bets that one can place, trying to predict the outcome of the dice shake.
Big
This type of bet is made on the sum of the three dice and is won if their collective value is between 11 and 17. This is one of the most common bets in Sic Bo and pays even money. This type of wager excludes triples like three 1s, three 2s, etc.
Small
This is the other popular bet in Sic Bo, won if the sum of the three dice equals between 4 and 10. Just like the Big bet, Small pays even money. Betting on Small excludes triples.
Odd
As the name of this bet suggests, you are betting on the sum of the three dice equaling an odd number. This type of wager excludes triples like three 1s, three 2s, etc.
Even
This is the opposite bet of the aforementioned one, betting money on the sum of the three dice equaling an even number. This bet also excludes triples.
Combination bets
This type of bet is made on any two exact numbers appearing on two out of the three dice. The third dice can show any number, as long as the other two are guessed correctly.
Single bets
This bet is made on any specific number the player believes will show up on one of the three dice. The payout increases if the number you have bet on appears on two or all three dice.
Double bets
If you decide to make this bet, you are betting on a specific number appearing on two of the three dice.
Specific triple and Any triple bets
In addition to singles and doubles, players can also make triple bets. They can be specific, betting on a number between 1 and 6 appearing on all three dice. It is also possible to make any triple bet, which is won whenever any number appears on all three dice.
Comparing the Two Dice Casino Games
To be able to choose which dice game to play, you should draw a comparison between the two. Both of the dice games can be found at both land-based and virtual casinos, with both craps and Sic Bo also being available at various live casinos online. That said, craps often beats Sic Bo in popularity as it is well-known in the West. Meanwhile, Sic Bo is mainly played by Asian players, which is also the reason why Sic Bo has fewer virtual variants at online casinos.
Even though craps tables may be more common at land-based and online casinos, when it comes to simplicity, Sic Bo is your game. Betting on this game is pretty straightforward, asking players to simply bet on the value of the three dice after they are shaken. Meanwhile, the betting options on craps are a bit more complicated, with some bets applied on several dice rolls and offering a different outcome depending on the value thrown on every roll.
With Sic Bo, you know whether you win or lose in just one roll of the dice. Meanwhile, in craps, your bets can apply to several rolls in a row, with players losing or winning their wagers after a few throws of the dice. Another thing that makes craps more complicated to understand is the combination of the table’s layout and the dice. You will need to be well aware of terms like come-out-rolls, establishing points, making points, and more.
Just because Sic Bo is easier to play, however, that does not mean that you should opt for playing only the three-dice game. Craps can also be very entertaining and it does not take long to understand how to play the game the right way. Moreover, with craps being the more popular option, it can easily be found online where you can play craps for free and practise until you feel comfortable betting real money on the dice game.
Comparing the House Edge When Choosing the Dice Game to Play
When seasoned casino players are choosing the game to play, they usually take into consideration the house edge of every gaming option. Games like blackjack or video poker can often have a house edge as low as 0.5%. However, such percentages are only true if players use the right strategy to gain a bigger advantage.
Meanwhile, slots are games that tend to have a house edge of around 5%, which will not be affected by any strategy or skill. If you are considering which dice game to play, you may want to opt for betting options that have a house edge below 5%. In craps and Sic Bo, different bets have different house edges, so you will need to get familiar with all betting options to determine which one is the best.
While craps is mostly offering bets that last for multiple dice rolls, there are also single-roll options. However, if you want to simplify the gameplay by making a single-roll bet and you are still adamant about playing with a house edge lower than 5%, you will have limited options. The only bet that can offer a lower house edge is the Field wager which is won whenever one of the field numbers appears in the next roll. This bet has a house edge of only 2.7%, which is significantly lower than the other craps betting options. However, this bet is paid out only when specific conditions are met.
Craps offers several multiple-roll bets that have a house edge below 5%, however, they are more complicated than the Field bet. That is why you will need to get familiar with the rules of craps and the table’s playout to be able to make use of the different options with a lower house edge.
Live Sic Bo Vs Live Craps
The two dice games can also be found at quite a few live casinos online. If you enjoy playing online with real dealers and you are wondering which game to choose, you can take into consideration several factors.
If you are basing your choice on the house edge, yet again, the Sic Bo bet with the lowest house advantage is going to be Small or Big. Meanwhile, craps will offer more options with a lower house edge but they will include multiple-roll bets that are a bit more complicated. If you are choosing which live-dealer dice game to choose, based on the house edge, craps will be the better option as it offers more bets with a lower house edge.
If you have decided to play craps at a live casino, however, you must keep in mind that this game is rarely available among live-dealer games. Despite craps being more popular than Sic Bo, there are almost no live craps options online. Meanwhile, you can find Sic Bo at multiple live casinos that run on the software platforms of different gaming providers. The reason for the lack of live craps options is the complicated layout of the game and the difficulty of recreating the game in a live casino environment.
Even though craps is a less common live-dealer option, more software developers have added the game to their portfolios. That is why you can find the classic casino game at several live casinos, offering optimised versions of the dice game, with special machines doing the dice throw.
As you can see, both versions offer their own perks and great betting options. The onus is on you to choose whichever dice game is more suitable for you when you play at live casinos online.
Conclusion
While both craps and Sic Bo are dice-type casino games, they have different rules, with various betting options available in both games. Deciding which option to play at a land-based casino or when you wager online can be a difficult choice. However, you can base your decision on several factors that can help you pick a game.
House edge is very important, with all bets in both craps and Sic Bo having different house edges. While Sic Bo offers two bets with a lower house edge, at craps you can play several options with a lower casino advantage percentage. That said, the bets at Sic Bo are much easier to make as you are simply betting on the outcome of the upcoming dice roll. Meanwhile, when betting on craps, you need to consider different factors, with many bets revealing the win or loss only after several dice rolls.
Both of the games are available offline and online, with craps and Sic Bo also available at live casinos. While the same rules apply when you choose which dice game to play online, when it comes to live-dealer options, things might be a bit different. While both dice games are offered by live casinos, Sic Bo is more widely available. That said, more software companies are starting to add craps to their portfolios, offering casino players the option to enjoy the game online and still play with a real dealer.
