What Is The Difference Between French And American Roulette?

What Is The Difference Between French And American Roulette?

Published Date · July 1, 2019 · Last Updated · March 6, 2024 ·Read Time · 4 mins

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How to Distinguish an American Roulette Table from a French Table

To figure out what type of roulette is being played, look at the table. There are two different types of tables: American and European. There is no such thing as a French Roulette Table. Rather, games of French Roulette, online or physical, are played on European tables. Similarly, there is no specific “European Roulette” either. The name only refers to the table.

The biggest difference between the two tables are the Zeroes. An American Roulette table will have two: 0 and 00. The European table only has one Zero position. Obviously, this has an effect on how the roulette wheel spins. At the European table, the odds of landing on the red black numbers are higher, so it’s easier to win.

One thing to keep in mind is that this is not a universal rule. Sometimes, French roulette online games may be played on an American roulette table, and vice versa. Don’t be too eager to start playing the American roulette free online games at your favourite online casino. Always double-check the rules of the game you are about to play. Roulette is one of the most popular casino games, so it is important to know the difference when it comes to playing with your pocket. In both styles, the house will always have an edge.

Landing on Zeroes

In American Roulette, if the roulette wheel lands on one of the zeroes, all bets made at the table are lost. It doesn’t matter if you bet on red, black, or a particular set of numbers. Your bets are gone forever. Since there are two zeroes, the chance of landing on one is around 5.3%. This percentage is also known as the “house edge”. It represents the chance the casino gets all your money.

Contrast this to the European Roulette table French Roulette is generally played on. At the European table, there is only one 0. So, the chance of landing on one is halved, to around 2.7%. The house edge is lower, making the game less risky for the player.

The Rules of French Roulette

In the French version, there are two additional rules. They were mentioned earlier: La Partage and En Prison. Both of these rules only apply for even money bets.

La Partage, in French, means “to divide”. Simply put, when La Partage is applied, the money you bet is halved. You lose only half your bet and the casino takes that money. You will still have the other half to continue playing with or cash out. This means the house edge is actually reduced even further, down to 1.35%.

En Prison, in French, means “the prison”. When the ball lands on the zero, the money you bet is ‘placed in prison’. You cannot bet more, change your bet or withdraw it. What happens to your money depends on the next spin. If you win the bet on the next spin, you get all your money back. However, if you lose the next spin, you lose all your money.

These two rules are only present in French Roulette. In American Roulette, landing on a zero means all your money is gone in an instant.

Types of Bets

Betting on Roulette revolves around the wheel. There are either 37 or 38 numbered pockets, for European and American roulette tables respectively. These pockets alternate with red-black colours and have numbers ranging from 0 to 37. When you place bets, you can bet on a particular number. This has the highest payout, but also the lowest chances of winning. You only have a 1/37 chance of winning a straight bet. But if you do win, you can get up to 30-35 times your initial bet back.

In some American roulette free online games, there are bonuses for winning straight bets. These bonuses can be jackpots or extra games.

Split bets let you bet on two numbers at once, though the payout is halved to only 17 times. Similarly, a ‘street bet’ or ‘row bet’ puts a bet on three numbers for a payout of only 11 times.

A corner bet, similarly, gives you a higher chance of winning for a lower payout. Instead of placing your casino chip on a particular number, you put it at the corner of 4 different numbers. By betting on 4 numbers, you quadruple your chances of winning compared to a straight bet.

After corner bets, there are bets that cover many numbers at once. These bets are called outside bets. “All even numbers”, “all reds”, or “the first twelve numbers” are all options. If you look at a roulette table, you can see the outside bets placed in boxes outside the numbers.

In French Roulette, there may be some special additional types of bets.

Playing French and American Roulette Online

Almost every online casino will offer various table games and include roulette among them. Both American and French roulette can be played online. Some online casinos will even offer live American roulette online, letting you watch a physical roulette in action rather than a computer generated one.

Most online casinos will offer both the rules of French and American roulette online, but at American Roulette tables. French rules with European tables are rarer. This is because they are much easier to win and less profitable for the casino.

Some online roulette games add bonuses. For instance, there may be a jackpot bonus for when the ball lands on a specific number. Online casinos are typically generous with promotional offers and bonuses. Therefore, playing American or French roulette online can be very exciting.

You can play your favourite version of roulette with our list of top casinos for roulette.

Author

Phoebe Greenwood

Content Writer