Dice section

ck666 Dice: faces, totals and two formats

Sic Bo and Bac Bo both use dice but have different structures. Sic Bo's three faces and total should be distinguished from the totals of two opposing pairs in Bac Bo.

Faces
Totals
Combinations
Comparison
Sic Bo details Three dice
Roulette section A wheel outcome

A dice total does not reveal every face. Both 1,2,3 and 1,1,4 total six, so the particular question being asked matters.

Three dice
Bac Bo
Two pairsSix faces
Per dieTotal
Sum of facesTriple
Three matchingPair
Two matchingRound
A new outcomeIndependent events
Sic Bo
Three dice together
Central subjects
Totals and faces
Bac Bo
Two dice on each side
Central subject
Compare two totals

Different questions with similar equipment

The number of dice and the way they are grouped change the meaning of a result. Identify the structure before applying a game's terminology.

Sic Bo totals

Three six-sided dice total between 3 and 18. Different totals can be formed in different numbers of ways.

Specific faces

How often a selected face appears is separate information from the total. Face-based conditions need that information.

Matching faces

Three identical faces make a triple. Its exception matters under conventional small/big rules.

Two sides in Bac Bo

Each side's two dice are summed and the totals compared. Do not confuse this with the total of three Sic Bo dice.

The idea of a tie

Equal totals between two sides are a comparative result, rather than a Sic Bo triple.

Specific conditions

Payouts and exceptions may differ by version. A general introduction does not replace an individual schedule.

Identify a dice result step by step

Read the individual faces, add the total and then check the relevant condition. Looking only at the largest face leaves the result incomplete.

Read faces
The first information
Three values

Writing all three Sic Bo values reveals both the total and any repeated faces.

Add the total
The next step

1+2+3=6 and 1+1+4=6: the total matches, but the repetition differs.

Identify triples
An exception

2+2+2 totals six, yet the fact that all faces match remains important.

Match conditions
The final step

A particular total and a small/big condition are different questions. Check each separately.

Two sides
Pair structure
Bac Bo

Add each side's two dice and compare the resulting totals.

Higher total
Comparative result

A single high face does not decide the comparison. Both dice on each side matter.

Equal totals
A distinct state

Equal totals form a tie, interpreted under the relevant provisions.

Structure first, conditions secondDifferent questionsInformation required

A question about the total requires adding every face.

A question about matching faces requires seeing each die.

In Sic Bo, total 3 can only be made by 1,1,1.

Middle totals can be formed by several different combinations.

Do not interpret a comparison of pairs as a three-dice triple.

Earlier dice do not make the next round owe a result.

Information comparison
Subject Sic Bo
Bac Bo Dice
Three Four
Grouping One set
Two sides Main question
Totals and faces Compare totals
Special state Triple
Tie Conditions

Different faces behind the same total

These examples explain structure. They are neither predictions nor a strategy for profit.

1,2,3

Total six with three different values.

Total
6 Not a triple
1,1,4

Total six with two matching faces.

Repetition
One pair Not three
2,2,2

Total six with all three faces matching.

Exception
A triple Excluded from small
Two pairs

In Bac Bo, 2+5 and 3+4 both total seven, so the sides tie.

Comparison
7 versus 7 Equal totals
Result sequence

A high total in the previous round does not make a low total compulsory next.

Time
A new round No result debt

Knowing a total is different from knowing faces

Faces, totals and comparisons are separate ideas that help describe dice structures. Each answers a particular kind of question.

Combinations in Sic Bo

With six possible values on each die, three dice produce 6×6×6, or 216 ordered outcomes. Yet their totals range only from 3 to 18, so many different outcomes share a total.

For that reason, knowing that the total is six does not tell you whether a triple occurred. Both 2,2,2 and 1,2,3 total six, but their face combinations differ. That distinction matters under conventional small/big rules.

The focus of comparison in Bac Bo

Bac Bo has two dice on each of two sides. Comparing only one high face against one low face does not describe the full result; each pair must be added first.

If both totals match, that state must be interpreted under that game's provisions. Sic Bo's triple exception cannot be transferred to it. Specific payout schedules are a separate matter beyond this structural comparison.

ck666

Sic Bo

Roulette

Common dice questions

Understanding totals and faces makes the Sic Bo detail easier to follow. First establish which game structure you mean.

Specific examples of three-dice small/big conditions and triples appear on the next page.Read Sic BoShared equipment does not imply shared rules.

How many dice are used in Sic Bo?
Its usual form uses three six-sided dice.
What is compared in Bac Bo?
The totals of two dice on each side.
Does total six identify one result?
No. Different face combinations can produce the same total.
Are all totals equally likely?
No. The number of combinations producing each total differs.
What is a triple?
The same face on all three dice.
Where is the detailed explanation?
The Sic Bo page explains small/big conditions and their exceptions.

Explore the three-dice detail

Read Sic Bo's particular structure or visit roulette to compare a different form of single-outcome entertainment.

Sic Bo Roulette Help