Sic bo traces its roots to ancient Asian dice games; the name means “two dice” or “pair of dice.” Today's version uses three dice and offers several betting options, though most of them carry very high house edges. The dice are juggled in a shaker or, often, a small cage, and winning numbers are those facing up. At most sic bo tables, the winning numbers are typed into a computer, which then lights up the winning bets on the table. Any squares not lit are losing bets.

▲ A typical sic bo table layout

There are seven kinds of bets you can make in sic bo. You can bet on a single number from 1 to 6, and if that number shows up on one of the three dice, you win even money. If your number shows up on two of the dice, you get paid at 2:1, and if all three dice show your number, you get paid at 3:1. The house edge on this type of bet runs around 8 percent.

You also can bet on a combination of two numbers; this is called a “two-face” bet and usually pays 5:1, with a house edge of about 17 percent. Another betting option is for any pair, and the payout is usually 8:1. But this bet has one of the worst house edges at around 33 percent.

You can bet on a specific triple — that all three dice will come up 2s, for example — or on “any triple.” The payout on a specific triple is a giddy 150:1, while the payout on any triple is a more modest 24:1. In both cases, however, the house edge is about 30 percent.

You also can wager on the total of the three dice, excluding triples. That means you have to select a specific total between 4 and 17; totals of 3 and 18 are losing numbers for a total bet. Because there are different possible combinations for the various totals, the payouts and the house edge vary. Here's a typical payout and edge chart for the possible winning numbers.