There are three popular versions available when we talk about roulette: European, American, and French. These different versions of the casino game are essentially identical in nature, save perhaps for some rules that are distinctly played in each respective variant.
They share a single objective though, which is for the player to predict correctly the next numbered pocket the roulette ball will settle into. The odds and payouts scheme is quite similar as well. So, even if French roulette may sound a bit odd and different from what you used to play, we’re confident that you’d learn the basic of the game in no time. For those totally new to the roulette game, don’t worry, we got the basics covered in this article.
The French Roulette
Whether it is a land-based or an online casino, a French roulette is basically a European roulette. Their similarity, however, ends in the table layout and the names of the rules.
Actually, if you take a look at a European roulette table and rearranged the placement and change the names of the betting zones, you would have a French roulette table.
Here’s a quick look on the French betting zones which can also be found in a European roulette table.
- Manque – the numbers 1 to 18
- Passe – the numbers 19 to 36
- Rouge – the Reds
- Noir – the Blacks
- Premiere Douzaine – the first dozen numbers from 1 to 12
- Moyenne Douzaine – the second dozen numbers from 13 to 24
- Derniere Douzaine – the third dozen numbers 25 – 36
The Racetrack
Another key feature of a French roulette table is the racetrack betting area.
It is a great platform where you can place side bets which cover the three sections of the roulette wheel. They are as follows:
- Voisins du Zero (neighbours of zero) – covers 17 numbers in the wheel including the zero (the numbers are 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, & 25)
- Tiers du Cylindre (thirds of the wheel) – covers 12 numbers opposite to the Voisins du Zero (27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16 & 33)
- Orphelins (orphans) – the remaining 8 numbers located in between the two sections mentioned above (9, 32, 14, 20, 1, 17, 34, & 6)
The House Edge
Like the European roulette, the French version of the game has the same house edge of 2.70%. But did you know that there’s a rule that could further lower down that measly casino advantage by half?
Introducing the la partage and the en prison! There are offline and online roulette casinos that offer these two special playing rules particularly in French roulette tables. Both of the rules cut down the house edge from 2.70% to 1.35%!
The rules come in effect only when a player placed an evens bet (red/black, even/odd) and the ball lands on the 0 pocket.
La Partage – half of the losing even bets returns to the player
En Prison – the players bet is held “in prison.” Player could get his bet back if the next spin favors him or lose if it isn’t. Basically, it’s like getting another shot on the next round for free.
Having variations in your usual routine is nice. French roulette is simply a perfect alternative worth a try, even at least once. But if you want to have an out-of-this-world roulette gaming experience, you might also want to check out some other versions of the game like the Multi-Wheel roulette. This will surely make your online casino roulette nights even more wild and exciting.
