The Guide to Playing French Roulette

There are several different types of roulette games. However, the three most popular versions are European Roulette, American Roulette and French Roulette. In this guide, we will look at what French Roulette is, how to play French Roulette, the French Roulette table, the French Roulette wheel, the different betting options, what unique rules set it apart from other roulette games - and why this is one of the most popular versions for lovers of this classic game.

What is French Roulette?

French Roulette is one of the most classic and historical variations of the popular casino game - having a history dating back to the 18th century. This elegant game is known for its unique features and its own French Roulette rules - distinguishing it from other versions of the game, such as European and American Roulette.

One of the main differences in French Roulette is the inclusion of the La Partage rule and En Prison rules. These rules come into play when the ball lands on the green zero pocket - and we’ll look at these a bit later in more depth. However, they essentially mean that you won’t automatically lose all your stake if you have made an evens money bet - unlike other variations, which lowers the house edge of the game. There are also different betting options.

French and European roulette share many similarities. The French Roulette wheel, like the European Roulette wheel, has 37 pockets, numbered from 0 to 36 - slightly different from American Roulette, which has an extra double-zero 00 pocket, giving it a higher house edge.

Ultimately, French Roulette distinguishes itself mainly by its La Partage and En Prison rules, both of which give you better odds compared to other versions. Because of its history and unique roulette rules, this is a favourite among roulette lovers worldwide looking for the most player-friendly version of the game.

French Roulette Table Layout

The French Roulette table layout is famous for being the most elegant and sophisticated of them all, setting it apart from other popular variations of the game. Compared to others, the French Roulette table layout is a very unique one - with its racetrack-style betting area, and special French Roulette terms, this is roulette at its most sophisticated.

Although the main distinctions often lie in rules such as La Partage and En Prison, here we’ll look at the layout of the table and other differences:

Table Design: The French Roulette table features a unique design with a racetrack-shaped betting area, which you won’t generally find in other versions of the game. This racetrack layout allows you to place French roulette bets on specific groups of numbers, such as voisins du zéro (neighbours of zero) and orphelins (orphans). This oval is used to simplify some of the more complex betting patterns and, as such, is often a favourite of more experienced players.

French Roulette Terms: One noticeable difference is the fact that French terminology is used in the French Roulette layout. For instance, you’ll see Pair and Impair instead of evens and odds. You’ll also see Manque and Passe used instead of low (1-18) and high (19-36) numbers. The good news is that it’s not hard to learn - and it simply adds a touch of authenticity and tradition to the game.

Announced Bets: Then we have the fact that French Roulette also offers a range of special bets known as ‘announced bets’, which you would usually verbally announce to the croupier rather than place directly on the table layout. Announced bets include popular French Roulette betting options like ‘Voisins du Zéro’, ‘Tiers du Cylindre’ and ‘Orphelins’, which cover a very specific section of the wheel - which we will look at in more depth below.

Types of Bets in French Roulette

As we touched upon earlier, French Roulette has several unique betting options that set it apart from other variants of the game - and these are the announced bets (also known as call bets) we mentioned in the last section of the guide. These give you even more ways to bet and can be particularly appealing if you’re someone who likes more complex or strategic gameplay. Here are some of the most distinctive betting options in French Roulette:

Voisins du Zéro - Neighbours of Zero: As the name suggests, this bet covers a selection of numbers near the zero on the wheel. In total, it includes 17 numbers, starting from 22 and stretching to 25 on the wheel, with the zero in the middle. You can place your chips to bet on this group of numbers collectively.

Tiers du Cylindre - Third of the Wheel: Unsurprisingly, this bet covers a third of the wheel - but specifically the third of the wheel opposite to the zero. This includes 12 numbers between 27 and 33 on the wheel - and you simply need to place your bets on this section to cover all the numbers in this range.

Orphelins - Orphans: Orphelins covers the remaining numbers on the wheel that aren’t included in the Voisins du Zéro and Tiers du Cylindre bets. This bet includes eight numbers.

Le Jeu Zéro - Zero Game: This is a bet that focuses specifically on the numbers surrounding zero and includes three chips placed on 0-3, 12-15, and 32-35. This is a subset of the Voisins du Zéro bet and gives you higher odds of winning on zero-related outcomes.

Neighbours Bets: This involves betting on one specific number plus its neighbouring numbers on the wheel. So, for example, if you put a neighbours bet on 5, it would not only cover 5 but the two adjacent numbers on either side.

These betting options in French Roulette add more depth to the game of roulette - allowing you to try something slightly different and make more precise bets based on the actual French Roulette layout of the wheel. If you are aware of what each bet includes, they can add more variety to the betting options that are typically available in your general game of roulette.

Unique Rules in French Rule

One of the main reasons French Roulette stands out from the rest is because of its two unique rules that can massively impact your bets and outcomes - La Partage and En Prison - both applying to even-money bets (such as red or black, odd or even and high or low).

La Partage Rule

The term La Partage, literally translates to ‘the divide or ‘the sharing’ - which is very much what it’s about. When you make an even money bet (such as red/black) and the ball lands on the green 0 pocket, the La Partage rule comes into play.

Instead of losing your entire wager, you are only required to give up half of your original bet. The remaining half will be returned to you. Essentially, this rule reduces the house edge on even-money bets, making French Roulette even better for players in comparison to other variants - even European Roulette.

En Prison Rule

Then we have ‘En Prison’ - and in French, "En Prison" means "in prison". Like La Partage, this rule also applies to even-money bets when the ball lands on the single green zero pocket.

Instead of losing your bet outright, your stake will be placed ‘in prison’ for the next spin.

If the next spin results in a win, then you’ll receive your original bet back without any additional winnings. It’s simply giving you a chance to win your wager back without having to make another bet to do so. However, if the outcome is still a loss on the second spin, then you will lose your bet entirely.

Both La Partage and En Prison rules are great for players because they reduce the house edge - and that always works in the player’s favour! These rules add even more complexities to the game - perfect for players who are aware of them - and are yet another reason French Roulette stands out from the rest.

What is the House Edge in French Roulette?

We’ve mentioned a few times that, because of these various rules, French roulette is highly favoured for its low house edge. But how low? Well, the French roulette house edge can be as low as 1.35%. Although the game typically carries a 2.70% house edge for most French bets roulette offers, this drops by half to 1.35% if you’re placing an even money bet on a game with the La Partage or En Prison rules in effect. To put this in perspective, American roulette has a much higher house edge - 5.26%.

If you're not completely familiar with the idea of the house edge, it simply represents the statistical amount of your bet that you are likely to lose to the casino in the long term. So, for instance, a French Roulette bet with a 1.35% house edge means that if you were to bet £100, you would, on average, end up winning back £98.65 - and ultimately losing £1.35 to the casino.

However, it’s important to note that the house edge is calculated over millions of bets - so you could walk away winning significantly more (or less). That being said, it serves as a good indicator of whether or not the odds are in your favour.

Play French roulette online, as well as options such as European Roulette and American Roulette.