Why Craps and Sic Bo Are Different
Craps and Sic Bo are both dice games played in casinos. Each features a complex betting table that can bewilder novices too, so to the casual eye, they appear very similar. However, Craps and Sic Bo have two major differences that make each a unique experience: the number of dice, and the betting options.
If you’ve never played either and you’re keen to try, you would do best to find a free online or mobile casino to practise in first. By the time you have a feel for the odds and are confident placing the different bets, you’ll also know which you’d rather play for real money.
Craps Can Take A While
Craps gets its giggle-worthy name from “crabs”, which was the original slang for a disastrous opening roll of 2, now called “snake eyes”. Played with two dice, it is a famously fast casino game. Or it can take a while; it all depends on the shooter’s come-out roll. If this first roll produces a 7 or 11, the shooter wins. If they roll a 2, 3 or 12, any bets in favour of the shooter, known as pass bets, lose.
However, if the come-out roll yields a 4, 5, 6, 8 or 9, that number is set as “the point”. The shooter needs to roll the point again, before they roll a 7, to win. A shooter trying to hit a point can thus keep rolling for some time. There are two ways to bet on the come-out roll, and if it sets a point, more betting options become available for each subsequent roll.
Sic Bo: 1 Roll, 1 Result
Sic Bo is a much older game that originated in China. It is played with three dice, not two, which are shaken in a box by the dealer, not rolled by a shooter. Players bet that specific dice combinations will come up on this single roll.
The betting table offers options like specific triples, any triple, a specific number on one die, high or low totals, odd or even, and several more. Each bet has a fixed payout, ranging from even money to 180:1, listed on the pay table. Craps returns range from even money to 30:1, so Sic Bo does offer lucky punters more bang for their bet.
How The Differences Affect You
Sic Bo’s three dice deliver more possible combinations than Craps’ two, so studying the odds will be harder before you can bet effectively on a Sic Bo table. However, it’s an easier game to play when you’re starting off, because the bets are clear and the winner is decided on a single roll.
Betting on Craps continues for as long as the shooter keeps rolling. Any bets on the Pass Line are betting for the shooter, while those on the Don’t Pass Line are backing the house… and that’s just on the come-out roll. Then there are several betting options if the shooter sets a point. So, although there is more scope to employ betting strategies in Craps, they may take you longer to learn.