French roulette is a single-zero version of roulette, often presented with French betting labels and special zero rules. The word roulette means “little wheel”. Like other casino roulette games, it has a house advantage rather than a dependable route to profit.
French Roulette versus American Roulette
The standard single-zero house edge is 2.70%. A half-back zero rule reduces it to about 1.35% on eligible even-money bets only. Inside bets, columns and dozens normally retain the 2.70% edge. Read the particular table’s rules.
The game is played on the standard European wheel, which has 37 divisions, where numbers from 1 to 36 and 0 can be found. Numbers from 1 to 36 are alternately colored in red and black, while the single zero is marked in green.
French roulette uses one zero, whereas standard American roulette uses 0 and 00. Traditional French layouts may show numbers differently from American layouts; colours and presentation vary by provider and do not change the underlying probabilities.
Another distinction between the two variations is that the numbers on the French and the American roulette wheels are located in a different manner.
Last but not least, the position of the outside betting field on the American and the French roulette tables differs.
The outside bets on the American variation are usually placed on the left side of the table layout. The outside betting field on the French variation is split in two and located along both sides of the table layout. Each one of the outside bets has its French moniker visualized on the table, while, at times, its translation in English is also visualized right below the French name.
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The main objective, which any player pursues, is to predict which numbered pocket the roulette ball is going to settle into. In order to do that, all players make bets on a particular number, after which the dealer turns the roulette wheel in one direction and spins the roulette ball in the opposite. Once the ball finds its way into the pocket with that particular number, the respective players get paid.
Types of bets that are to be made
The betting layout of the roulette table is comprised of two sections including bets on individual numbers and group bets. In French roulette players are able to take advantage of two main categories of bets, inside and outside bets. The inside bets are made on a single number, adjacent numbers, or small groups of numbers, while the outside bets encompass larger groups of numbers.
The majority of bets offer different odds of winning and, respectively, different payouts from each other. These payouts and odds of winning are usually not listed on the board, with the exception of the column bet’s payout. Therefore, prior to entering the game, players should become aware of the payouts and odds regarding each bet. Let us go through inside and outside bets in French roulette.
Inside bets
1. Straight-Up Bet: Is placed on any single number, including “0”, and directly on the number. Its payout is 35 to 1.
2. Split Bet: Features two adjacent numbers and is placed on the line between these numbers. The bet may also include 0 and 1, 0 and 2, 0 and 3. Its payout is 17 to 1.
3. Street Bet: Features all three numbers in a row and is placed on the line at the end of the row. There are other options for its placement as well. It can include 0, 1, 2; 0, 2, 3. Its payout is 11 to 1.
4. Corner Bet: Features a group of four numbers and is placed at the corner where these four numbers touch. The bet can also be placed on the corner of 0, 1, 2, and 3. Its payout is 8 to 1.
5. Line Bet: Features six numbers (or two rows of three numbers) and is placed at the end of two rows, on the border between them. Its payout is 5 to 1.
Outside bets
1. Column Bet: Features an entire column and is placed in the box at the end of the respective column. Its payout is 2 to 1.
2. Dozen Bet: Features a group of 12 numbers. In American roulette, the table has boxes marked as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. The respective boxes on the French table are positioned in two areas and are marked as ”12P”, or Premier Douzaine (numbers 1 to 12), ”12M”, or Moyenne Douzaine (numbers 13 to 24) and ”12D”, or Dernière Douzaine (numbers 25 to 36). Its payout is 2 to 1.
3. Bet on Color: Features all of the red numbers or all of the black numbers on the layout and is placed on the ”Red” (Rouge) diamond or the ”Black” (Noir) diamond. Its payout is 1 to 1.
4. Bet on Odd/Even: Features all even numbers or all odd numbers on the layout and is placed on the ”Pair” box (all even numbers) or the ”Impair” box (all odd numbers). Its payout is 1 to 1.
5. Bet on Low/High: Features all low numbers or all high numbers and is placed on the ”Manque” box (numbers 1 to 18) or the ”Passe” box (numbers 19 to 36). Its payout is 1 to 1.
If en prison is offered, zero can hold an eligible even-money stake for a later spin. A winning nonzero result releases the stake without profit; a losing result forfeits it. A half-back alternative is available only where explicitly offered.
Repeated-zero treatment varies. If further zeros leave the bet imprisoned until a nonzero result, the edge is about 1.35%; if a repeated zero loses the stake, it is about 1.39%.
Classic Roulette Bets
French Roulette
Double Ball Roulette
Double Action Roulette
Probability and Odds in Roulette
With the partage rule, an eligible even-money bet receives half its stake back immediately on zero. That produces an edge of 0.5/37, about 1.35%. Check availability and see our zero-rule explanation.
Announced bets
Like European roulette, French roulette allows players to make the so-called ”announced bets”, which we discussed in the previous article.
In addition, players have the opportunity to place the so-called ”neighbor bets”. They feature numbers, which are located next to each other on the roulette wheel. In case a player is willing to bet on the number 25, plus the number immediately to the left, and the number immediately to the right of 25 on the wheel, he/she may call a one-number neighbor bet on 25. This bet will feature the numbers 2, 25 and 17.
Further reading: Gambling Commission standards for clear game rules.
