How to Play French Roulette
All games available today in land-based and online casinos can be divided into two categories: slots and table games. Slot machines attract mostly beginners since they don’t have to have any special knowledge and skills. Table games attract more experienced users who want to be able to influence the result. One of the most obvious examples is French roulette. Despite the simplicity of its rules, it allows you to use various strategies and betting systems.
What Is French Roulette
The main part of this roulette version is a wheel divided into several sectors. When the wheel is spun, the ball gets launched in the opposite direction. The ball eventually stops in one sector, determining the final result. If the result matches a user’s bet, they receive a payout.
Short History
The exact date, when this table game was created, is unknown, and so is the creator. The first mention of this game dates back to the 17th century. Many experts consider the French mathematician Blaise Pascal to be the inventor. It is believed that he had the idea to use the wheel and the ball. Initially, these attributes were used by him in experiments with a perpetual motion machine. Later, they became an invariable part of any casino.
First, french roulette tables were popular only in French gambling venues. The game quickly gained popularity in other European countries, and then it was popularized in the USA by immigrants.
In the USA, casino owners added a second Zero sector to the wheel, which doubled their profit.
In over 200 years, the basic roulette mechanics have not changed. Many unique versions of the game have appeared. However, roulette is still based on the process of spinning the wheel and throwing the ball.
Differences Between Other Types of Roulette
Three common roulette versions have been created. They are the most popular ones in Europe and America. Each of them uses a similar system for determining results and calculating prize money. However, the details are different. Despite the seeming insignificance, they greatly impact gameplay and user experiences.
| Roulette type | Features | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| European | This is the simplest version with a minimum number of rules. The wheel and betting field consists of 36 numbers and one Zero sector. | 2.63% |
| American | The rules are the same as in the European roulette, but two Zero sectors are used here instead of one. This provides several additional bets but increases the house edge. | 5.26% |
| French | Many gamblers consider this version optimal. It offers more bets and fewer risks. Thanks to the La Partage rule, a user receives half of the money when they bet on equal chances, and the Zero comes up. | From 1.35 to 2.7% |
In land-based venues, only these three versions are offered. Online casinos provide many additional types with modified rules. For example, in some of them, a betting field is reduced. In others, random payout multipliers come up, or the time for accepting bets is reduced. However, the essence remains the same.
French Roulette Bets
All types of French roulette bets are revealed after starting a game. A user can study the table that shows possible outcomes and the payout ratios applied to them. All bets can be divided into three categories.
Inside Bets
To make inside bets, you have to put chips in one of the inner sectors of the betting field. For example, gamblers can bet on one, two, or four numbers. The field includes 36 numbered sectors and the Zero sector.
The available bet options are:
- One number.
- Pair.
- Street.
- Square.
- A line of six.
Internal bets attract players with rather high payout ratios. At the same time, they are the riskiest.
Outside Bets
They are made on sectors located outside the numbered table. Potential payouts are relatively small, but the risks are much lower.
The available betting options are:
- Column.
- Dozen.
- Over or Under.
- Even or Odd.
- Red or Black.
Any outside bet, including bets on equal chances, is considered lost if the Zero comes up. This applies, for example, to color prediction.
Bets on equal chances are red or black, even or odd, over or under. The probability of those outcomes is approximately 50%.
You can’t bet on two contradictory results. For example, placing chips in the fields More and Less at the same time is not possible.
Call Bets (Announced Bets)
In French roulette, there are so-called announced bets. A player has to place chips in an appropriate sector outside the numbered field.
A specific part of the roulette wheel is intended for such bets. The numbers aren’t located next to each other in the table itself. These are the sequences of sectors on the roulette wheel:
- Voisins du zéro. A bet on 17 numbers on the wheel from 22 to 25 inclusive.
- Jeu zéro. A bet on the Zero and 6 numbers next to it.
- Le tiers du cylindre. A bet for 12 numbers from 27 to 33 inclusive.
- Neighbors. A bet on any selected number of the wheel and the 4 numbers next to it: two on the left, two on the right.
Call bets can be combined with the rest. The payout ratios may vary slightly in various casinos, so it’s better to check them in the rules.
French Roulette Table of Odds and Payout
For classic french roulette bets, the payouts are always the same. Riskier bets usually mean larger prize multipliers.
| Bets | Numbers involved | Probability of winning | Payout ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red or black | 18 | 47.36% | х1 |
| Even or odd | |||
| Over or under | |||
| Dozen | 12 | 31.57% | х2 |
| Column | |||
| A line of six | 6 | 15.79% | х5 |
| Square | 4 | 10.52% | х8 |
| Street | 3 | 7.89% | х11 |
| Pair | 2 | 5.26% | х17 |
| One number | 1 | 2.63% | х35 |
In several roulette versions, rules and payout ratios can vary. For example, in the popular game Lightning Roulette by Evolution Gaming, a random number is determined before the start of each round. If it comes up, users receive increased payouts.
Additional Rules in French Roulette
A special feature of this roulette version is the availability of two additional rules. In several rounds, they allow you to reduce the house edge from 2.7 to 1.35%.
How they work:
- En Prison. For example, a user makes a bet on equal chances, and the Zero comes up. In this case, chips are saved till the next rotation. If this situation repeats, a player loses money.
- La Partage. This is a more common rule. If the Zero comes up when betting on equal chances, a user instantly receives half of the chips.
These rules apply exclusively to bets on red or black, over or under, odd or even.
How to Play the French Roulette Game
Thanks to the simplicity of the rules, even a beginner can play immediately after taking a seat at a French roulette table. The mechanics for calculating and determining payments are elementary.
To start a game, you have to follow several steps:
- Choose a table. Roulette is available in slot machines and a live casino. In slots, a random number generator is responsible for the results. In a live casino, there is a live croupier who, manually or with the help of a special device, starts the wheel and spins the ball.
- Make a bet. You have to place any number of chips in one of the preferred sectors. For example, in Live mode, the time is limited (15 seconds on average).
- Wait for the result. When all bets are placed, a dealer spins the wheel. In slots, rotation is made by a user. When the roulette wheel stops, a ball falls into one of the sectors. If the result matches the user’s bet, they receive a payout.
Then the process is repeated. Players place bets again, waiting for the wheel to spin and the results to be announced.
French Roulette Betting Strategies
Since roulette is based on the probability theory, it can be predictable. By using various strategies based on statistical laws, you can achieve more stable results than if you make bets randomly.
No strategy can guarantee success. There are no win-win betting systems.
The easiest to learn and most frequently used strategies are:
- Martingale. According to this system, you have to bet on equal chances, for example, on colors. If you win, a type of bet changes. If you lose, you have to double the next bet. This happens until the win. Martingale allows you to cover all previous losses with one successful bet and make a profit. However, the strategy is rather risky and demands a huge bankroll.
- D’Alembert. With a winning bet, its size does not change. In case of loss, the initial number of chips is added.
- Likely outcomes. This strategy requires some time to watch the results. After several identical outcomes, you have to bet on the opposite. For example, if a red number comes up 5 times in a row, you have to bet on black sectors.
At the same time, it is essential to understand that roulette rules consider a casino‘s profit. The probability of winning is always less than 50%. Therefore, even the most reasonable strategies can’t work perfectly.
