If you’re an avid gambler, you’ve probably heard of the American and European Roulette wheels, and know the difference between them. You’ll likely also favour the European wheel, due to its lower house edge and higher winning chances. If this is the case, then we have just the thing for you. If you haven’t already discovered the wonders of French Roulette, you’ll be thrilled to know that it’s a variation of the beloved game of chance, set upon the European wheel, but with a twist.
Let’s take a look at the difference between French and European Roulette, so the next time you play online Roulette at Paddy Power, for example, you could spin the wheel and make the most of unique betting options that can reduce the house edge even further than you ever imagined. Read on to find out more.
European Roulette
As you might know, the European Roulette wheel has 37 pockets, in comparison to the American wheel having 38. There’s one green single zero pocket, with the remaining pockets displaying numbers one to 36, spread evenly across 18 red pockets and 18 black pockets. The colours alternate, and whilst the order of the numbers appear to be random, each pair of odd numbers is followed by a pair of even numbers, and are divided into high and low. The wheel is always spun counter-clockwise, and the ball is spun in the opposite direction – clockwise.
When playing American Roulette, the wheel displays an extra green double zero pocket, creating a higher house edge of 5.26%. The house edge whilst playing European Roulette is 2.70%, making it clear why many players prefer the European version of the wheel.
French Roulette
You’ll be pleased to know that French Roulette is played using the European wheel, but has two special rules that can reduce the house edge to 1.35%. This means that French Roulette is the casino game with the lowest house edge when these rules are in place. The rules are as follows:
- La Partage
Known as the ‘sharing or dividing rule’, La Partage comes into play if the ball lands in zero. When this happens, all even-money bets are split into two and half of your original bet is returned.
- En Prison
The En Prison rule is very similar to La Partage, but if the ball lands in the zero pocket, half of your even-money bet is imprisoned, and you’ll get to carry this over to the next spin. You then repeat the bet, and if it comes in, you win back your original bet.
What’s the difference?
Whilst there are no differences in the wheel itself between European and French Roulette, as both games are played using the European layout, there is the potential for French Roulette to provide you with a way to incur fewer losses, with the unique rules lowering the house edge. Overall, though, the games really aren’t that different, as they both provide the majority of the same betting options, as well as the ability to use your favourite betting strategies and enjoy the ultimate game of chance! So, which version will you choose?
