French Roulette
Introduction & Game Overview
The beautiful game of roulette was invented in France in the 17th century, in the years following the French Revolution. The French word ‘roulette’ means, little wheel, and the origins of the game are attributed to French scientist Blaise Pascal.
In 1842, the extra zero was added to the wheel, giving the house the edge. French Roulette is the oldest variation of the game and is still played avidly in the casinos of Monte Carlo.
Roulette has since become the game of choice for many gamblers worldwide. The game is an entertaining gambling activity, which has extreme potential for gains. Some strategies and systems can increase the potential for winning, which we will look at briefly below. The point is, roulette is a game of skill and patience, which has become a mainstay at land casinos and online casinos as well.
French Roulette: The Specifics
The French roulette wheel has the divisions 1 to 36, and a zero on the wheel, making up a total of 37 spaces/numbers. The spaces and numbers are marked in red and black; however, the zero is coloured in green.
Moving clockwise:
0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17, 34, 6, 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10,
5, 24, 16, 33, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26
This crucial factor gives an additional house edge in American roulette, but not the French version. The numbers themselves are coloured differently. With French roulette numbers coloured white.
On the American table, the numbers except the zeros are red or black, except the zeros. It is interesting to note that French roulette has been referred to as the Devil’s game since all the numbers on the roulette wheel add up to 666; the number of the beast!
| Bets | Payout | Odds |
| Even | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| Odd | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| Red | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| Black | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| 1-18 | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| 19-36 | 1:1 | 48.6% |
| 1-12 | 2:1 | 32.4% |
| 13-24 | 2:1 | 32.4% |
| 25-36 | 2:1 | 32.4% |
| Single Number | 35:1 | 2.7% |
| Combination of 2 Numbers | 17:1 | 5.4% |
| Combination of 3 Numbers | 11:1 | 8.1% |
| Combination of 4 Numbers | 8:1 | 10.8% |
| Combination of 6 Numbers | 5:1 | 16.2% |
French Roulette versus American And European Roulette
There are, of course, differences between French roulette and other popular versions of the game, but French roulette retains its relevance and appeal. The main difference attributed to French roulette is the unique layout of the pay table. Furthermore, and of crucial significance is that players are faced with the lowest house advantage of any other roulette variation! In fact, the house edge is the lowest of all the variants:
- American Roulette House Edge: 5.26% due to double zero slots
- European Roulette House Edge: 2.7% due to single zero slot
- French Roulette House Edge: 1.35% due to half back rule (for even money bets only)
The numbers on the French and American versions are placed differently, and the position of the outside betting is different as well. While American outside betting is on the left of the table, with French, there are more possibilities, as outside betting can take place on the left and right of the table. As with other versions, French roulette has a unique betting system.
Essentially, French roulette is more complicated than European or American roulette, as the potential betting can consist of several bets at once, increasing the action and wagering possibilities. Players can place ‘announced’ or ‘called’ bets, as long as they put sufficient chips on the table to cover the bets. In a live online casino setting, it is advisable for players to be familiar with the terms, to facilitate communication with the croupiers.
French Roulette Wagering Process
The first step is to become familiar with the wagering terms in French! Not to worry, as there are only six terms including Passé; which means an Even bet, and Impair; for Odds. The terms describe the types of bets players can make, and they can be picked up quickly during the game. Announced bets lend a touch of class, authenticity and involvement.
The beauty of French roulette is that a total of twelve bets can be placed on the table simultaneously. In this instance, players call out Complete Bet on Seven, or Seven to the Maximum.
Once all the bets have been placed, and the croupier calls out; No More Bets, it's time to wait patiently for the roulette ball to fall into a lucky space. Once the ball falls into a space on the wheel, all losing bets are collected by the croupier, leaving the winning bets on the table. The dealer then pays out the winning bets for the different combinations, to multiple players who may have won.
Rules Specific to French Roulette
It is always advisable to check the rules of the game before wagering, especially with roulette, since there are so many variations. For instance, the En Prison rule, which comes into play when the ball lands in the zero pocket.
Players who have colour bets, or odds/even bets on an even money chance, under this rule the stake will remain on the table for the next spin.
The La Partage rule is applied when the ball lands in the zero pocket again, and this time players have bet an even money shot. The rule stipulated that players receive half their bets back.