French Roulette
Having the lowest house edge out of all Roulette variants and a bunch of elegant sounding bets, French Roulette is favoured by many players. It represents one of the major gambling activities in casino hubs like Monte Carlo. However, you don’t need to book a trip to France to enjoy this game. It’s available at online casinos in Canada. You can play at the tap of a button at our recommended sites.
Get familiar with the game’s peculiarities in this guide, from the bet names to the table layout and quirky add-ons.
Understanding the French Roulette Wheel & Table Layout
The game wheel is identical to the standard European Roulette. There are 37 sections, featuring numbers 1 – 36 and a 0 pocket. The colour scheme is identical also. The 0 is green, and the rest of the pockets alternate between red and black.
However, the table layout here is very different from other kinds of Roulette. For starters, the betting terminology is different, and the arrangement of the outside bets is more elaborate. Call or announced bets are common on French Roulette. So the table features a separate section (often called the racetrack) right beside the regular inside and outside bets. Usually, you won’t encounter this when playing online unless you’re visiting the live casino.
French Roulette Payouts
Here’s the chart for French Roulette Payouts:
At a glance, the payouts and odds are precisely what you’ll find when playing European Roulette. However, once a zero gets involved, the La Partage and En Prison rules take the odds higher.
La Partage & En Prison Table Rules
La Partage and En Prison are special rules available on French Roulette tables. Players can take advantage of these rules after placing an even money bet where 0 comes up as the winning number.
La Partage: This translates to “sharing” or “dividing.” According to this rule, all even-money wagers are split in half if the ball lands in the zero pocket. You get to keep half your stake, and the casino takes the other half.
En Prison: French for “in prison,” this table rule states that your even-money bet will be imprisoned on the table if the ball lands on 0. If your previously chosen number wins on the next spin, you get your original bet back with no profit.
The House Edge
On regular bets, the house edge is 2.70%, but that number is cut down by half whenever the La Partage and En Prison rules are in play. The house advantage with these rules is only 1.35%.
It’s pretty straightforward if you think about it. You no longer have to lose your bet when the ball lands in the zero pocket. Instead, you either get back 50% of it or have it locked on the table with a chance to win on the next spin. Hence, the advantage that the house would normally have is halved.
Tips for Playing French Online Roulette
- If you haven’t played this game before, it’s crucial that you try it out for free first. There are a few different rules and terminologies, so you’ll need a bit of practice to settle into the novelty.
- It’s also a good idea to play classic European Roulette first.
- Try out different announced bets if available. The Frenchness of these special bets is one of the highlights of the game.
French Roulette vs. Other Variants
This table game comes in third on the popularity rankings after European and American Roulette. However, thanks to the additional gameplay rules that apply to the 0 pocket, the French Roulette Payouts are the best.
The La Partage and En Prison rules are one of the main differences between this variant and its European and American cousins. It’s also the reason behind the reduced house edge.