CARDCard games & guides
Dice and roulette basics: sic bo, craps and the wheel
The main bets in sic bo and roulette, what the zero does to your odds, and why doubling your bet after every loss is a fast way to empty a balance.
Dice and wheel games are the simplest casino games to learn, and that is exactly why they suit a lesson on odds. You can see every possible result, count them, and work out what the house keeps. This guide covers sic bo, a short word on craps, and roulette, then looks at betting systems.
Sic bo
Sic bo is played with three dice, shaken in a covered cup or a machine. You bet on the result before the dice are revealed. It is common in live-dealer lobbies and in several Malaysian casino apps; see our Live Sic Bo page for one example.
The three dice can make totals from 3 to 18. The main bets:
| Bet | Wins when | Typical payout |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Total is 4 to 10, not a triple | 1 to 1 |
| Big | Total is 11 to 17, not a triple | 1 to 1 |
| Odd / Even | Total is odd or even, not a triple | 1 to 1 |
| Any triple | All three dice match | about 30 to 1 |
| Specific triple | Three of the number you chose | about 150 to 1 or 180 to 1 |
| Specific double | At least two of the number you chose | about 8 to 1 or 10 to 1 |
| Total (e.g. 10) | The dice add to that number | 6 to 1 up to 60 to 1, depending on the total |
| Single number | Your number appears on 1, 2 or 3 dice | 1, 2 or 3 to 1 |
Payouts differ between tables, so read the board before you bet.
The key rule is that Big and Small lose on any triple. There are 216 possible ways three dice can land, and 6 of them are triples. That small slice is the house edge on Big and Small, about 2.8 percent. The flashy bets pay more but keep much more: "any triple" at 30 to 1 has an edge near 14 percent. Generally, the bigger the promised payout, the worse the deal.
Craps in one paragraph
Craps uses two dice and is more common in American casinos than in Asian apps. The first roll is the "come-out": on a Pass Line bet, 7 or 11 wins, 2, 3 or 12 loses, and any other number becomes the "point". The shooter keeps rolling until the point comes again (you win) or a 7 appears (you lose). Pass Line has a house edge of about 1.4 percent, one of the lowest in the casino, but the table is also covered in side bets with much higher edges.
Roulette
A roulette wheel has numbered pockets. The dealer or machine spins a ball, and you bet on where it lands. You can bet on a single number, groups of numbers, red or black, odd or even, or high (19-36) or low (1-18). See our Live Roulette page for how one app lays out the table.
European vs American
- European roulette has 37 pockets: 1 to 36 plus a single 0.
- American roulette has 38 pockets: 1 to 36 plus 0 and 00.
A single number pays 35 to 1 on both. On a European wheel the fair payout would be 36 to 1, since there are 37 pockets; on an American wheel it would be 37 to 1. The gap is the house edge: about 2.7 percent on the European wheel and about 5.3 percent on the American one. Red or black loses when the ball lands on zero, and that is where the edge on even-money bets comes from. If you have a choice, the single-zero wheel costs you less.
House edge in plain words
House edge is the share of each bet the game keeps on average over a very long run. A 2.7 percent edge means that if you bet RM100 in total, spread over many rounds, you should expect to end with about RM97.30. In a short session anything can happen: you may win, you may lose much more. But the more you play, the closer your result drifts to that average. The casino does not need to cheat; it needs only volume.
Why Martingale and other systems fail
Martingale says: bet on red, and double your bet after every loss. When you finally win, you recover all the losses plus one unit. It sounds safe. It is not.
Suppose you start at RM10. After seven losses in a row, which happens more often than people expect, your next bet is RM1,280 and you have already lost RM1,270. Two problems appear:
- Table limits. Most tables cap the maximum bet. Once you hit it, you cannot double, and the system breaks with a large loss.
- The edge does not move. Each spin still has the same odds. Changing bet sizes only changes the pattern of results: many small wins, then one crushing loss.
The same holds for Fibonacci, D'Alembert, "follow the trend" and "bet against the streak". No sequence of bets on a game with a house edge adds up to a positive result. The dice and wheel have no memory; our gambling myths guide explains why streaks fool us.
Sensible habits
- Stick to the low-edge bets (Big/Small, red/black on a single-zero wheel) if you play at all.
- Decide a session budget and a time limit before the first bet.
- Treat any win as luck, not a sign to raise stakes.
If you already play through an agent and want to try a dice or roulette table, ask for a game ID and start with the table minimum.
These games are for adults aged 18 and over, and online gambling is restricted in Malaysia. Keep your stake to money you can afford to lose; our responsible gaming page has practical tips.
Questions from the field
Why do Big and Small lose on a triple?
That rule is where the house edge on those bets comes from. Without it Big and Small would be an even-money coin flip.
Is European roulette better than American?
For the player, yes. The single zero gives the house about 2.7 percent on most bets, against about 5.3 percent on a wheel with 0 and 00.
Does Martingale work if I have enough money?
No. Table limits cap how far you can double, and the average loss per bet is the same whatever system you use.
18+ only. Real-money games; online gambling is restricted in Malaysia. Never top up money you need, and stop if it stops being fun. Responsible gaming.