All about French roulette: main differences or advantages and disadvantages

There are already quite a few variants of roulette. Most of the newer options are intended for online play, but in principle we distinguish only two types: American and European. However, you can often come across the term French roulette, which is slightly different from the two types mentioned and is actually the oldest type of this popular game.

How to recognize French roulette?

French roulette works with special rules that increase its winning potential. Only full knowledge of these rules will give you the ability to work with your bets and fully engage in the game. You will recognize French roulette right after the first look at the playing field. It has the following distinguishing features:

• It contains only one field with zero (0)
• The playing field contains a total of 37 fields with numbers
• The house edge of French roulette with special rules is up to 1.35% (RTP 98.65%)
• It contains special additional rules (La Partage and En Prison)
• All terms are listed in French

The main difference of French roulette, which will certainly stick in your memory immediately, is the playing field is in French. Otherwise, it is basically no different from European roulette, which is actually its anglicized version. A special element is the additional rules, which slightly tilt the advantage in favor of the player.

French Roulette vs. Other Roulettes

The differences between the different types of roulette are really rather superficial. In French roulette, only the individual rules have a greater influence on the game. To compare the different types of roulette, you can take a look at our table below, where you will find all the necessary information.

Comparison of Roulette Types

Special Rules in French Roulette

As we have already mentioned several times in our article, French roulette has additional rules that make this type of roulette considered the best of all. However, it is not a rule that a casino will implement these rules in every French roulette.

En Prison Rule

One of the rules found in French roulette is En Prison (literally “In Prison”). If the ball stops on zero in the case of even bets (with a payout ratio of 1 to 1), even bets are not returned, but remain “trapped” in their place until the next spin. If the player wins in the next round, his stake is returned without winnings. If he loses, he loses his stake.

La Partage Rule

This rule means that if the ball stops on zero in the case of even bets (with a payout ratio of 1 to 1), players betting on this type of bet are paid half of their stake. Thanks to this rule, the RTP rises to 98.65%.

Layout of the playing field and wheel

In French roulette, the wheel contains 37 fields. These are the numbers from 1 to 36 and one green field with 0. These are then arranged according to a specific pattern on the playing screen and bets can be placed on them. All numbers are red or black, according to the layout that you can see in the picture below. On the screen, you can place bets not only on the numbers themselves, but also on other possible outcomes of individual spins. Within the screen, you will find other elements that are used to control the game or place bets.

Racetrack French Roulette

In addition to these basics, most offline and online roulette also includes a so-called racetrack. It is designed to resemble the arrangement of numbers on a roulette wheel. It involves placing special bets on groups of numbers that are close together on the wheel (Tiers, Orphelins, Voisins, Zero).

• Tiers (Tiers du Cylindre)
  translated as Third of the Wheel. This bet covers the 12 numbers located on the opposite side of the roulette wheel from zero. On the table, the bet would consist of 6 chips on the numbers 5-8 (split), 10-11 (split), 13-16 (split), 23-24 (split), 27-30 (split) and 33-36 (split).
• Voisins (Voisins du Zéro)
  translated as Neighbors of Zero. This bet covers a total of 17 numbers located around zero on the wheel. On the table, the bet would be a complex 9-chip bet on the numbers 0-2-3 (triple), 4-7 (split), 12-15 (split), 18-21 (split), 19-22 (split), 25-26-28-29 (four) and 32-35 (split).
• Zero (Jeu Zéro)
  translated as Game of Zero. This bet covers the 7 numbers closest to zero on the roulette wheel. On the table, it would be a complex 4-chip bet on the numbers 0-3 (split), 12-15 (split), 32-35 (split) and the number 26 itself.
• Orphelins
  translated as Orphans. This bet covers the remaining 8 numbers that do not belong to any of the previous bets. On the table, the bet would consist of 5 chips on the numbers 6-9 (split), 14-17 (split), 17-20 (split), 31-34 (split) and the number 1 itself.

What are the betting combinations?

All betting combinations are basically similar to other roulettes. The only difference you can notice at first glance is the location and naming of the outside bets. The basic division is:

• Outside bets – bets on options other than numbers. The rules are the same as in other roulettes, only they are located elsewhere and they are all in French. However, you can find an English translation under each name. In addition, bets on individual columns have moved to the right of the bet on black.
• Inside bets – bets directly on individual numbers and their combinations
• Combined bets – bets on multiple numbers

However, there are of course more betting opportunities on the screen. You can read about the specific bets in French roulette, along with their probabilities and payout ratios, in the table after this paragraph. If you would like a more detailed explanation with pictures, you can definitely read the article How to play roulette.

Probability of winning and payout ratios of betting combinations

The payout ratios and probability of winning depend on the bet you place in roulette. It is logical that the probability of hitting a number is different from that of hitting a color. However, the payout ratios always remain the same, even for other types of roulette. You can see the probability for individual bets, including the payout ratios for French roulette, below.

If you would like to see all bets (even those that you won’t find in French roulette) laid out in detail and in a clearer way, check out our detailed article on how to play roulette.

How to bet in French roulette?

French roulette is very specific with its playing field, which is kept in French. However, if you have ever played classic English roulette, you don’t have to worry. The layout of the playing field is a little different than what you are used to in other types, but everything is also described in English, so even non-French speakers know what they are betting on.

The rules also remain as simple as in European roulette, but they are spiced up with special rules that help the player get a better RTP, or increase the winning rate. However, in online casinos you can often come across variants without these additional rules.

Play French Roulette for Free

However, if you don’t feel like playing for real yet, you can hone your skills and strategies on free online roulettes. You’ll find all types of roulette here, no registration required and no risking your money as you’re playing with virtual currency.

Where to play French roulette?

You can find French roulette across practically all European casinos. The fundamental difference is in the application of individual rules, which are no longer so common and you usually have to really look to find a casino that uses them. You may not only find it online, but also in brick-and-mortar casinos.

French roulette is probably undergoing the smallest changes and you will rarely find any of its more modern variations. This is mainly due to the fact that the modification of this type of roulette reduces its advantages and thus becomes uninteresting for players.

However, the so-called Live casinos have spread very quickly, which are the perfect combination of an authentic casino experience and the comfort of home. This of course includes Live roulette, which you can read more about in the article below.

History of French Roulette

French roulette was at the very beginning, after all, the term “roulette” comes from France (literally “small wheel”). It originated in France in the 17th century and is probably the work of the famous Blaise Pascal and his efforts to create a perpetual motion machine.

From more researched sources, we know that it was first played as a gambling game in Paris around 1796. Its current form was then inspired by the French. Specifically, the Blanc brothers, who added a zero to it in 1843 and tipped the advantage to the casino. Subsequently, roulette spread throughout Europe and later to America, where casinos added a second zero, further influencing the probability of winning in their favor.

French Roulette – to Play or Not to Play?

If you are looking for a completely unique roulette experience and want to play it in the form in which it has been played for over 200 years, you should probably go for French roulette. Especially the one that includes the additional rules La Partage and En Prison. These tilt the odds a little more in your favor and make French roulette the very best type of this popular casino game.

The only problem may be that online casinos do not include this roulette in their offers very often, and if they do, they often lack the application of these additional rules. The game then has no advantage over the European variant.