The French Roulette

This game is an online version of French roulette where the object of the game is to successfully predict which of the 37 numbered pockets the ball will land in. By correctly predicting the winning pocket, players win an amount according to the payout for the winning bet. A French Roulette table is a lot larger than a standard European Roulette table as it is operated by four croupiers instead of one. A French Roulette table has two croupiers on either side of the cylinder to change money into jetons (chips) and two at the bottom end of the table to place the jetons.? This roulette free online, also called European Jackpot, will offer you great odds. In it, you will find a wide array of wagers, which appeals to punters. You will also find that the rules in this game type are favorable. The French option online has some differences compared to the classic type. In French roulette there is just a single zero, which immediately lowers the edge to 2.7%. French roulette comes with a La Partage rule, which cuts the house edge down to 1.35%. This rule is specific to those 50/50 bets such as red/black and odd/even bets.

  1. French Roulette Online
  2. French Roulette Game
  3. French Roulette Bets
  4. French Roulette Cake

Introduction

French roulette is considered the birth-giver of all other styles of roulette. It doesn’t differ very much from what we know about European and American roulette – only the design differs. The world “roulette” actually comes from French and it translates literally into “little wheel”. Instances of the game are recorded to have been played as far back as 1796 A.D in Paris, France. Not much has changed during the past 200 years – the tables got bigger and the roulette wheels shinier, but the same basic rules still apply to this day.

  • £10Minimum Deposit
  • Mobile Casino
  • 24/7 Support
  • £10Minimum Deposit
  • Mobile Casino
  • 24/7 Support
  • £10Minimum Deposit
  • Mobile Casino
  • 24/7 Support

The Croupier

In French Roulette, there is no dealer. You, and everyone else, must address the roulette attendant by his proper title – croupier. You must watch your croupier carefully, for he will be taking your bets; informing you when you have won/lost and generally be with you throughout the course of the game. Look at his gestures and movements carefully, especially if you are one of those compulsive types who like to place bets at the very last minute. The croupier will give you a few seconds after he had spun the wheel. Once they raise their hand, this means “no more bets”.

The Chips

Each player is given chips, corresponding to a given colour. The croupier is the only person who should know who has which chips. This way no two parties would argue over who made which bet. At the end of each spin, the croupier will announce the winning number and collect the rest using his special spade. Additional purchasing of chips is not only allowed, but encouraged as well.

The French Roulette Wheel and Layout

Before we dive deeper into the game, we will take a look at the thing that makes it all possible. The wheel used in French Roulette is the single-zero version. It is practically identical to the one featured in European Roulette. Specifically, the wheel comes with 37 pockets. They alternate in red and black colour, with the exception of the zero pocket, which comes in green. The sequence of numbers presented on the wheel is the following:

0-32-15-19-4-21-2-25-17-34-6-27-13-36-11-30-8-23-10-5-24-16-33-1-20-14-31-9-22-18-29-7-28-12-35-3-26

As for the betting layout, this is where you place your bets. The French layout is more stylized for a French player base and some of the outside bets are presented with their French names. Aside from that, the layout is in line with those of other roulette games. There are three columns and twelve rows of numbers, with the zero on top of them.

Betting Options in French Roulette

When it comes to betting options, roulette gives you more ways to stake your money than just about any other game out there. Each wager is different and deals with a specific aspect of the wheel. In order to have success in this game, one has to properly understand how the bets work. Below, we will outline all possible bets in French Roulette and what their respective payouts are.

Inside Bets

The inside bets are found within the numbers grid on the layouts. They all involved specific numbers and these types of bets vary in risk and reward. Each inside bet is different and comes with its own specific success chance and payout. Below, we will list all inside bets that you can place in French Roulette.

  • Straight-up Bet – A wager placed on a single number. Pays 35:1
  • Split Bet – A wager placed on two neighbouring numbers at once. Pays 17:1
  • Street Bet – A wager placed on three numbers in a row. Pays 11:1
  • Corner – A wager placed on four neighbouring numbers. Pays 8:1
  • Six Line Bet – A wager placed on two rows of numbers at the same time. Pays 6:1
  • Trio – A wager that involves the zero and two other neighbouring numbers. Pays 11:1

You can put down as many inside bets at the same time as you wish or as much as your bankroll and the betting limits will allow.

Outside Bets

The outside bets refer to a group of wagers found directly next to the numbers grid. Since they are not located inside it, they are called outside bets. This group of wagers focuses on certain aspects of the winning number rather than its specificity. Moreover, since the bets are not as specific, they come with lower risk. Naturally, this translates over into lower rewards. There are several primary outside bets in French Roulette and below, we will list all of them.

  • Dozen Bet – a bet on a group of 12 numbers. There are 3 dozen bet options and they cover the numbers 1-12, 13-24, and 25-36. Pays 2:1
  • Column Bet – a bet on one of three columns in the grid. Pays 2:1.
  • Low or High (Manque ou Passe) – A bet on whether the winning number will be in the 1-18 or 19-36 range. Pays 1:1
  • Red or Black (Rouge ou Noir) – A bet on whether the winning number will be red or black. Pays 1:1
  • Even or Odd (Pair ou Impair) – A bet on whether the winning number will be odd or even. Pays 1:1

Call Bets in French Roulette

The call bets in roulette are special in that they are not found on the layout, generally speaking. Moreover, at land-based casinos, you do not put down the call bets yourself. This is done by the croupier. You simply call out what special bet you want and the casino staff will get on it, hence the name ‘call bets’.

There are several call bets that you can place in French Roulette and they all vary substantially. What’s more, the call bets are not stand-alone wagers as the ones described above. Instead, they are a collection of several smaller bets, which all form one major pattern. Therefore, to place any call bet, you need to put more money upfront. Not only that but for a call bet to be effective, all of the chips used to place it will need to be of the same denomination. There is quite a lot of specificity as far as call bets are concerned and below, we will shine some light on what they involve.

Voisins du zero – also called the neighbours of zero, in English, is one of the most common call bets out there. It covers 17 numbers, the zero and the eight pockets on either side. To make this bet, you would need to place 2 chips on the 0-2-3 trio, 1 chip on the 4-7 split, 1 chip on the 12-15 split, 1 chip on the 18-21 split, 1 chip on the 19-22 split, 2 chips on the 25-26-28-29 corner, and 1 chip on the 32-35 split. That’s nine chips of equal value, in total.

The Jeu zero, which means zero game in English, is a more conservative version of the Voisins. It covers the zero and six other numbers. To put down this wager, you would need 1 chip on the 26, 1 chip on the 0-3 split, 1 chip on the 12-15 split, and 1 chip on the 32-35 split. All in all, four chips are required.

Le tiers du cylindre is another interesting and intricate bet option. It covers a third of the wheel, more or less, and involves six different split bets. For le tiers, you need one chip on the 5-8, 10-11, 13-16, 23-24, 27-30, and 33-36 splits. Of course, you could go for different numbers, there is no specific requirement on which third of the wheel you actually have to cover.

Orphelins is a call beet that includes the numbers not included in the Voisins and Tiers wagers we mentioned above. Eight numbers are involved in the Orphelins and you would need to place the following wagers: 1 chip on the 1, 1 chip on the 6-9 split, 1 chip on the 14-17 split, 1 chip on the 17-20 split, and 1 chip on the 31-34 split. That’s five chips in total.

House Edge and RTP in French Roulette

Gambling is a risky business, all things considered. We all go in, knowing that we might leave without a penny in our pocket. Still, it seems to be a deal risker for players than it is for the house. Why is that?

The saying ‘The house always wins’ is not exactly true but it is not false either. Casinos make a great deal of money and there is only one way to guarantee long-term success where chance is involved. To do so, you need to turn the odds in your favour. That is what the casinos do when designing their games and this is what we call the house edge.

The house edge is the statistical disadvantage that you have when playing against the casino. It comes from the discrepancy between the odds at winning a bet and the payout odds. The way it works is quite simple, yet it is not obvious at first.

Take for instance the straight-up bet. You are betting on a single number out of 37 in total. This means that your one number goes against 36 others. Therefore, the odds against winning are 36:1. However, the payout odds are 35:1. This discrepancy is what constitutes the house edge. Over the long term, you will lose money by taking this bet or any other in roulette for that matter.

The house edge is evaluated in percentages. For French Roulette, the house edge on inside bets is 2.7%. This means that the theoretical return for a $1.00 bet is $0.97. However, we have to mention that the house edge is theoretical and these figures apply only when playing infinite spins with infinite money. In the short term, there is no saying what might happen. This means that you can have success playing French Roulette. What you also need to consider is that the more you play, the more the house edge comes into effect. Therefore, our advice is if you earn a decent payout, quit while you’re ahead.

On the topic of the house edge, there are some peculiarities regarding the outside bets of French Roulette. We will discuss this directly in the next point.

Special French Roulette Rules

French Roulette may share many features with the European version and even the American one, for that matter. However, it is only in French Roulette that you find the most player-friendly rules in the whole genre. We all know the horror of placing an outside bet only for the ball to land in the zero pocket. As it happens, there is a remedy for that and it comes in the form of the ‘en prison’ and ‘la partage’. Below, we will take a look at both of them and see how they function and what effect they have on the game.

The French Roulette

En Prison

The ‘en prison’ rule applies when you have placed an outside bet and the ball lands in the zero pocket. Under standard European or American rules, you would lose your wager. However, in French Roulette, your bet will remain in place for one more spin. If your outside bet wins this time, you get to take back your wager. You do not win anything, but you don’t lose either.

Take note that en prison is mutually-exclusive with la partage.

La Partage

The ‘la partage’ rule, on the other hand, does things a little differently. Once again, it applies when you have made an outside bet. If the ball lands in the zero pocket, you do not lose your money. Rather, the casino will return half of your bet and keep the other half.

The la partage is different from the en prison in that it removes the additional risk. Rather than take an extra chance, you just receive half of it back. Generally, both rules have the same statistical outcome but the la partage is the more stable of the two.

Effect on the House Edge and RTP

Since these rules change the flow of money turnover they also have an effect on the RTP and house edge values. The result is they reduce the house edge on outside bets by half. Therefore, from the standard 2.7%, the casino advantage is lowered to 1.35%. This makes French Roulette the most favourable of all roulette variations out there.

The way it works is quite clear. In la partage, you get half of your money back outright. With en prison, statistically, you win 50% of the respins and get 50% of the lost cash. In both cases, your losses from the zero pocket are reduced by half.

Of course, we also have to consider whether one rule is more favourable than the other. Judging by the statistics alone, the answer would be no. However, the statistics are only true in the long run. Therefore, if you are lucky enough to beat the odds in the short term, en prison will be more favourable for you. La partage, on the other hand, takes the risk out of the equation and just gives you back half of your losses. It all depends on your play style. If you want a more stable and consistent bankroll, choose a la partage game. If the thrill and excitement of the game are more to your liking, then en prison is right for you.

More Articles Covering Roulette

How To Play Roulette
History of Roulette
Interesting Facts About Roulette
Roulette Variations
Roulette Evolution
European Roulette
French Roulette
American Roulette
Roulette Bets and Odds
Roulette Outside Bets
Roulette Call Bets
Roulette Betting Strategies
Roulette Wheels


Roulette has been a popular casino game ever since it was invented in 18th century France. There are many different types of roulette available, with the most common variants being French Roulette, European Roulette and American Roulette. These are the three variants that we will focus on in this article.

During a round of roulette, the croupier (roulette dealer) will spin a wheel (the roulette wheel) in one direction and spin a ball within the wheel in the opposite direction. Eventually, the ball will lose speed and fall down into the wheel, where it will settle in one of the many pockets within the wheel.

An American roulette wheel has 38 pockets, while a European or French roulette wheel has 37 pockets. The pockets are numbered 0 – 37 on the European and French wheel. At the American wheel, there is also a pocket for 00, bringing the total number of pockets up to 38.

Within the span 1 – 37, half of the numbers are black and half of the numbers are red. 0 and 00 are always green. At traditional French roulette tables, the colors are only displayed within the wheel, not at the table. You are expected to know which color each number has. At European and American roulette tables, the color of a number is typically shown both within the wheel and at the table.

For mathematical reasons, the house edge is higher on American roulette than on European and French roulette. The addition of the double zero (00) brings the house edge up to 5.5 percent on a traditional American roulette table. For a traditional French or European table, where there is no 00, the house edge is just 2.7 percent.

Roulette chips

In many casinos, a roulette table will have its own roulette chips that can only be used at that specific table. You trade in regular casino chips in exchange for roulette chips. The roulette chips you receive will be unique to you for your playing session, e.g. you get the blue chips with the white pattern, and these can only be used by you until you trade them in for regular casino chips again before leaving the table.

Having designated roulette chips for each individual players lowers the risk of mix ups and confusion at the table. If everyone where to play with regular casino chips, situations could easily arise where two players claim to be the owner of the same stack of chips, or one player claims that certain chips has fallen off his stack an into someone other person’s wager.

Roulette chips have no value printed on them. Instead, the croupier places one of your roulette chips together with a regular casino chip to indicate its value.

French Roulette Online

Example: You trade in $1,000 worth of regular roulette chips and receive a stack of 100 red roulette chips. The croupier will place a $10 casino chip together with one red roulette chip at a certain area near the croupier, to indicate that each of your red roulette chips are worth $10. At the end of your playing session at this roulette table, you give any remaining red chips back to the dealer and receives $10 worth of regular casino chips for each red chip.

Examples of bets

Online

There are a lot of different bets one can make at the start of a round of roulette. The most famous is arguably the straight bet, where you bet your money on one specific number and is paid 35 times your wager if the ball comes to rest on this number. The other available bets are bets on two or more numbers, e.g. the first dozen (numbers 1 – 12), all red numbers or all even numbers. The higher your chance of winning, the lower the payment when you win. It is possible for the player to decide if they want roulette to be a high risk or low risk game.

Below, you will find a table with examples of bets that you can do while playing roulette.

The payments listed are used in a wide range of online and offline casinos, but it is ultimately up to each casino to set their payment table for each of their roulette tables. Therefore, one should always check the payment table for the particular roulette table one wish to play at.

NamePaymentInformation
Straight Bet35:1When you pick one specific number and bet on just this number, that is called a straight bet.

You can pick any number within the span 1 – 36. Making a straight bet on 0 or 00 is not permitted on a regular roulette table.

To make a straight bet, place the chip on top of the number your wish to bet on at the casino table.

You only win if the ball comes to rest on exactly the number you wagered on. Since the chance of this happening is low, this bet pays well if you win – you get paid 35 times your wager.

Split Bet17:1A split bet is a bet where your wager is split over two different numbers.

You can only bet on two numbers that are next to each other at the roulette table, because you must place your chip on the line between the two numbers.

Making a split bet that involves 0 or 00 is not possible at a standard roulette table.

When you have made a split bet, you win if the ball comes to rest on any of the two numbers that your wager is split between.

If you win, you get paid 17 times your wager.

Street Bet11:1At a standard roulette table, the 36 numbers in the span 1 – 36 are placed in twelve rows with three numbers in each row. Each of these three-number rows are known as a street.

If you bet on a street, your bet on the three numbers that are included in that specific street. You win if the ball comes to rest on any of these three numbers.

You make your bet by placing your chip right where the street in question starts, on the line that separates the outer betting area and the inner betting area from each other on the roulette table.

If you win, you are paid eleven times your wager.

Corner Bet /

Quad Bet

8:1A corner bet is a bet spread over four numbers. You make this bet by placing your chip where the squares of four different numbers meet each other on the roulette table. (This limits which four-number options that are available for a corner bet.)

Since this type of bet involves four numbers, it is sometimes referred to as a quad bet.

If the ball comes to rest on any of the four numbers included in your corner bet, you are paid eight times your wager.

Basket Bet6:1If you want to bet on really low numbers, you can make a basket bet.

At a French or European roulette table, a basket bet is a bet spread over the numbers 0 – 1 – 2 – 3.

At an American roulette table, a basket bet is a bet spread over the numbers 0 – 00 – 1 – 2 – 3.

You win if the ball comes to rest on any of the numbers included in the basket bet. You are paid six times your bet.

Double Street Bet5:1As mentioned above, there are twelve “streets” on the roulette table with three numbers in each street. With a double street bet, your wager is spread over two adjacent streets. It is thus a bet on a total of six numbers.

You make a double street bet by placing your chip where the two streets start (on the line that separates the outer betting area and the inner betting area from each other on the roulette table) while simultaneously making sure that the chip is straddling the line that separates the two streets from each other.

You win if the ball comes to rest on any of the six numbers included in your double street bet. The payment is five times your wager.

1st Dozen2:1This is a a bet on the numbers 1 – 12. You get paid 2:1 on your wager if the ball comes to rest on any of the numbers in the 1 – 12 span.

You make this bet by placing your chip in the designated field on the roulette table. It is normally marked “1st 12” or “1-12”.

2nd Dozen2:1This is a a bet on the numbers 13 – 24. You get paid 2:1 on your wager if the ball comes to rest on any of the numbers in the 13 – 24 span.

You make this bet by placing your chip in the designated field on the roulette table. It is normally marked “2nd 12” or “13-24”.

3rd Dozen2:1This is a a bet on the numbers 25 – 36. You get paid 2:1 on your wager if the ball comes to rest on any of the numbers in the 25 –36 span.

You make this bet by placing your chip in the designated field on the roulette table. It is normally marked “3rdt 12” or “25-36”.

1st Column2:1The 1st column consists of the following numbers:

1 – 4 – 7 – 10 – 13 – 16 – 19 – 22 – 25 – 28 – 31 – 34

This is a bet on these twelve numbers. If the ball comes to rest of any of them, you are paid 2:1 on your wager.

You bet on the 1st Column by placing your chip at the end of the 1st Column. There is normally a special field there marked “2:1” or “2 to 1”.

2nd Column2:1The 2nd column consists of the following numbers:

2 – 5 – 8 – 11 – 14 – 17 – 20 – 23 – 26 – 29 – 32 – 35

This is a bet on these twelve numbers. If the ball comes to rest of any of them, you are paid 2:1 on your wager.

You bet on the 2nd Column by placing your chip at the end of the 2nd Column. There is normally a special field there marked “2:1” or “2 to 1”.

3rd Column2:1The 2nd column consists of the following numbers:

3 – 6 – 9 – 12 – 15 – 18 – 21 – 24 – 27 – 30 – 33 – 36

This is a bet on these twelve numbers. If the ball comes to rest of any of them, you are paid 2:1 on your wager.

You bet on the 3rd Column by placing your chip at the end of the 3rd Column. There is normally a special field there marked “2:1” or “2 to 1”.

Halves – Low Bet1:1Halves – Low Bet is a bet on the numbers 1 – 18. (Please note that 0 and 00 are not included.)

There is a designated area on the roulette table where you place your chip to make this bet. The area is normally marked “1 – 18” or “1 to 18”.

You win 1:1 on your wager if the ball comes to rest on any of the numbers in the 1 – 18 span.

Halves – High Bet1:1Halves – High Bet is a bet on the numbers 19 – 36.

There is a designated area on the roulette table where you place your chip to make this bet. The area is normally marked “19 – 36” or “19 to 36”.

You win 1:1 on your wager if the ball comes to rest on any of the numbers in the 19 – 36 span.

Red1:1To bet on red, place your chip in the designated area marked RED on the roulette table.

You win 1:1 on your wager if the ball comes to rest on any of the red numbers.

You lose your wager if the ball comes to rest on any of the black or green numbers.

Black1:1To bet on black, place your chip in the designated area marked BLACK on the roulette table.

You win 1:1 on your wager if the ball comes to rest on any of the black numbers.

You lose your wager if the ball comes to rest on any of the red or green numbers.

Odd1:1To bet on odd, place your chip in the designated area marked ODD on the roulette table.

You win 1:1 on your wager if the ball comes to rest on any of the odd numbers.

You lose your wager if the ball comes to rest on any of the even numbers, or on 0 or on 00.

Please note that 0 and 00 do not count as even nor odd.

Even1:1To bet on even, place your chip in the designated area marked EVEN on the roulette table.

You win 1:1 on your wager if the ball comes to rest on any of the even numbers.

You lose your wager if the ball comes to rest on any of the odd numbers, or on 0 or on 00.

Please note that 0 and 00 do not count as even nor odd.

Call bets at the French roulette table

Most French roulette tables will accept call bets, unless call bets are banned by applicable law.

Call bets are shouted to the croupier instead of being placed on the table. For traditional reasons, the shouting is typically done in French even at French roulette tables found outside the Francophone world.

The

Here are three examples of call bets to get your started:

Name of the call betInformation
Voisins du ZeroThis means “neighbors of the zero”.

By calling voisins du zero, you are placing a bet on the 17 numbers found closest to the zero, i.e. 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, and 25.

Tiers du CylindreThis means “a third of the wheel”.

By calling tiers du cylindre, you are placing a bet on the 12 numbers of the wheel that are as far away from the zero as possible. These numbers are 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, and 33.

OrphelinsThis means “orphans”.

The orphans are the numbers that re neither voisins du zero or tiers du cylindre. By calling out orphelins, you are placing a bet on the numbers 1, 6, 9, 14, 17, 20, 31, and 34.

It should be noted that call bets are not the only bets possible at the French roulette – you can do ordinary bets as well. Learning the French names for the bets will make it easier for you. For example, the French equivalent of even is pair, while odd is impair. Low (1-18) is manqué (1-18) and high (19-36) is passé (19-36). The 1st dozen is premiere 12 (P-12), the 2nd dozen is moyenne 12 (M-12) and the 3rd dozen is derniere 12 (D-12).

The french roulette room

Numbering

The French and the European roulette wheel look the same when it comes to numbering. The numbers are placed like this (clockwise): 0-32-15-19-4-21-2-25-17-34-6-27-13-36-11-30-8-23-10-5-24-16-33-1-20-14-31-9-22-18-29-7-28-12-35-3-26.

At the American roulette wheel, the numbers are placed like this (clockwise): 0-28-9-26-30-11-7-20-32-17-5-22-34-15-3-24-36-13-1-00-27-10-25-29-12-8-19-31-18-6-21-33-16-4-23-35-14-2.

Traditional design

  • Traditionally, European and American roulette tables sports a green cloth, while French roulette tables have a red cloth. Today, many casinos are no longer adhering to these traditions, and you can find red-clothed European tables, blue-clothed (!) French tables, and so on.
  • As mentioned above, the numbers are normally uniformly colored at the French roulette table cloth.
  • Traditionally, European and French roulette tables have the wheel placed in the middle, while American roulette tables have the wheel at the end of the table. Today, the American configuration is used by a lot of European and French roulette tables as well since it is considered more practical.A notable exception are the roulette tables at Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco, which still sport the traditional centered wheel configuration.

Odds

European and French Roulette

French Roulette Game

Bet

# of numbers included in the bet

Chance of winning

Straight

1

1 in 37

(2.7 percent)

Split

2

1 in 18,5

(5.41 percent)

Street

3

1 in 12,3

(9.3 percent)

Corner

4

1 in 9,25

(10.81 percent)

Six Line

6

1 in 6,2

(16.22 percent)

Dozen

12

1 in 3,1

(32.58 percent)

Column

12

1 in 3,1

(32.58 percent)

Red/Black

18

1 in 2,06

(48.65 percent)

Even/Odd

18

1 in 2,06

(48.65 percent)

High/Low

18

1 in 2,06

(48.65 percent)

French Roulette Bets

American Roulette

Bet

# of numbers included in the bet

Chance of winning

Straight

1

1 in 38

(2.63 percent)

Split

2

1 in 19

(5.26 percent)

Street

3

1 in 12,6

(7.89 percent)

Corner

4

1 in 9,5

(10.53 percent)

Six Line

6

1 in 6,3

(15.79 percent)

Dozen

12

1 in 3,2

(32.43 percent)

Column

12

1 in 3,2

(32.43 percent)

Red/Black

18

1 in 2,1

(47.37 percent)

Even/Odd

18

1 in 2,1

(47.37 percent)

High/Low

18

1 in 2,1

(47.37 percent)

French Roulette Cake

As you can see, you get better odds playing French and European roulette instead of American roulette. The presence of the 00 in the American roulette wheel brings the house edge up to 5.5 percent, as opposed to the 2.7 percent house edge of European and French roulette.