Differences Between French & American Roulette

The world of online gambling is one of the countless options. If you have heard of a casino game, odds are it is available somewhere. This is in contrast to real-world casinos, which often have a much more limited selection. As games move across borders, their rules and layouts also change. Today, we will look into the difference between two roulette wheels: French and American.

The Wheels Themselves

One of the most obvious changes between the two games is in their wheels. French roulette has set the standard for all European roulette wheels. It comes with a single zero, which is better for the player. On top of the zero, you have thirty-six numbers, laid out in red and black squares. The thirty-six numbers remain the same across both wheels.

American roulette has two zeroes instead of one. We get a single zero, and a double zero. This does not seem like a big change, but it has a serious impact on the game. With two zeroes, the house edge is nearly doubled. It sits at 5.26%. Compare that to French roulette, whose house edge is 1.35%! The difference cannot be accounted by just the addition of one zero. For that, we need a closer look at French roulette’s rules.

La Partage & En Prison

French roulette uses a European roulette wheel. If it followed the exact same rules, it would have a house edge of 2.7%. However, French roulette tables usually use one of two additional rules. One is called La Partage, while the other is En Prison. Both are activated when a ball lands on the zero field, and the player did not bet on it.

With La Partage active, you receive half of your original bet back when it lands on a zero. This only activates if you have not bet on the zero being a winning number. It allows you to make back part of the losses you would get playing even money bets. It is quite useful, considering many popular roulette strategies use these wagers as their basis!

En Prison offers a similar effect, but it gives you a chance to get your money back. If a zero is drawn, your money is seized temporarily. On the following round, the game checks if you have won or not. If you did score a prize, you will win the previous bet too. However, if you lose, you will also lose the bet from the previous round when you drew a zero.

Make sure to double-check if these rules are active before playing French roulette. Some tables simply use French names but do not use these extra rules. This is common in the world of Online Casino, Online Gambling & Variations. Players prefer to play in their own language, after all.

Which One Is Better?

For advantage players, French roulette is better. Even without the additional rules, one less zero means better odds of winning. With the additional rules, the advantage the French version has is even better. Back in the day, American players were stuck with double-zero roulette. Today, everyone can enjoy the best possible version of their favourite game. All without having to leave the comforts of your own home!