Like many other online casino games, the origins date back to ancient China.
The name itself means "two dice", although how the game came to be played with
three dice is a question only the casino owners can answer. As one of the most
popular casino games around, it is quite interesting to see how the game evolved
from something quite archaic into such a high demand game in the bright lights
of casino strips like Las Vegas so many hundreds of years later.
At first, the game was played with two bricks with symbols painted on all the
different sides. These bricks were shuffled around in bowls and then thrown on
the ground to reveal combinations of symbols. Players were awarded for guessing
the right symbols.
The game spread across the Chinese border into other parts of the east and
became popular in countries such as Thailand and Macau. Sic Bo became known as
"Hi Lo" in the Philippines and overtook many of the more popular money games
that were big at the time.
Ironically, Sic Bo is also glaringly similar to the English game of "Grand
Hazard", even though a strong link between these two games has never been proven
completely.
Even though the name differed from place to place, the principles remained
the same. Due to increased travel in the latter part of the 1800s, the game
eventually found its way to the west where it grew to unprecedented heights.
As the game progressed, a third dice was added into the mix in order to give
players more chances to win and more ways to bet. The game became more
scientific with the introduction of casino odds. Even though there are three
dice, players can bet on any of the dice in single, double or triple
combinations, with payouts ranging from 1:1 to as much as 180:1.
Thankfully, the game evolved somewhat from bricks to dice and players have up
to 50 betting options laid out for them on the betting table. The dice are now
thrown in a small cup and not in bowls.
Sic bo became more popular in US casinos than European casinos. There is no
real reason for this other than the fact that the US has always been more
receptive of new games.
However, it was not until the online casino boom that sic bo really blossomed
from a game that was played at certain casinos into a game that was widely
accepted as leader in entertainment around the world. The continuous improvement
of online casino software has also added to sic bo's popularity with
introductions of additions like algorithmic dice throws and live dealer
interaction. Although many gamblers still prefer the vibe of land based casinos,
online casinos are fast closing that gap.
Today, sic bo continues to grow in demand as more and more online casinos
adopt the game as a crowd-puller.
