Table of Contents
- What is a French Roulette?
- Difference between French Roulette and European Roulette
- French Roulette Payouts
- Different Types of Call Bets in European/French Roulette
- Call Bets versus Announced Bets
- French Names for Outside Bets
- French Roulette FAQs
What is a French Roulette?
Roulette is a very popular casino game played worldwide. The French Roulette wheel has 37 pockets with numbers from 1-36 and a single 0 pocket.
The players place their bets on a number or a set of numbers displayed on the roulette wheel. The dealer/croupier spins the wheel after all the bets are placed, with the ball landing in one of the 37 pockets. The dealer pays the winner according to their bet amount and type.
Players use various Roulette strategies to increase their chances of winning.
European and American Roulette are the most played Roulette versions. You can click the highlighted words to learn more about these two types of Roulette and get a feel of the game by spinning our designed wheels.
The French Roulette basic rules are similar to European Roulette. It is believed to have originated in France in the 1700s. Initially, the roulette wheel had a single zero in a red pocket and a double zero pocket in a black pocket.
In the 1800s, the colour of the zero pockets was changed to green. And in 1843, two Frenchman, François and Louis Blanc, invented the single zero pocket roulette wheel to compete with casinos offering the two zero pockets style roulette wheel.
Difference between French Roulette and European Roulette
- The table in French Roulette is different from the European one.
- In French Roulette, the game advances slowly. When games are played longer, players play lesser games per hour. Hence they are likely to lose less money.
- The outside bets in French Roulette are written in French, while in European Roulette, they are written in English.
- The outside bets in French Roulette are placed on both sides of the layout. Refer to the table displayed at the end of this article.
- You can place additional bets in French Roulette using its racetrack. The racetrack is different from the table layout.
- The La Partage rule in French Roulette lets players play even money bets and win half of the wagered amount if the ball lands in the 0 pocket.
- The En Prison rule in French Roulette helps players save their wagered amount the first time and get a second chance to try their luck and win money. The previous bet wagered amount is lost if the player loses during the second chance. Till then, the money from the last bet is kept in jail.
- Though the house edge for French and European Roulette is 2.703%, the La Partage rule drops the house edge in French Roulette further to 1.35%. The house edge gets reduced even when playing the En Prison rule.
French Roulette Payouts
You can place Inside and Outside bets in Roulette. The payout and winning probability are different for all the bet types.
You can learn about the different types of bets explained in our Roulette strategy article. The Street and the Corner bets can include 0 (zero).
The below table will help you understand the payout percentages against the various bets in French Roulette, along with their probabilities.
| bet type | Payout | probability |
|---|---|---|
| Single/Straight Up | 35/1 | 2.7% |
| Split | 17/1 | 5.4% |
| Street | 11/1 | 8.1% |
| Corner/Square | 8/1 | 10.8% |
| Six Line/Double Street | 5/1 | 16.2% |
| Column/Dozen | 2/1 | 32.4% |
Different Types of Call Bets in European/French Roulette
Voisins du Zéro – Neighbours of Zero
Neighbours of Zero bet is the most popular call bet. It includes the seventeen numbers placed from 22 to 25 on the wheel. These numbers are closest to Zero; hence the name – neighbours of zero is derived for this bet.
A player will need nine chips of equal denominations to play this bet on the Voisins du Zéro section on the racetrack. One chip must be placed on each split of 4-7, 12-15, 18-21, 19-22, and 32-35, two chips for the corner bet numbers 25,26,28 and 29, and another two chips as a split bet on numbers 0,2 and 3 (three number combination).
The payout for this kind of bet can reach 24:1, depending on the winning number. A winner can get paid 17:1 for any split numbers, 11:1 for the three numbers combination, and 8:1 for the corner bet.
Le Tiers du Cylindre – Third of the Wheel
The Third of the Wheel bet covers numbers between 27-33 displayed on the wheel. These numbers are 27,13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, and 33. Players must use six chips of equal denominations. One chip must be placed on the six split bets covering all the numbers. The payout here would be 17:1.
Les Orphelins – Orphans
Orphans bet covers eight numbers – 17, 34 and 6 can be found on the right side of the 0 pockets, while 1, 20, 14, 31 and 9 are on the left side. A winner can be paid 17:1 or 35:1, depending on the winning number.
Jeu Zéro – Zero Game
Zero Game bets originated in German gambling houses. They were known as Zero Game or Zero Spiel. Seven numbers closest to the 0 pockets, including the 0, are included in the Jeu Zéro bet.
The numbers are 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, and 15. Though the Neighbours of Zero bet includes the same numbers, players must place only four chips in the Jeu Zéro bet.
One chip is placed on the split bet between 12 to 15, one chip on the split bet on 0 to 3, one chip on the split bet on numbers 32 to 35, and the fourth chip as a straight bet on number 26.
Winners get 35:1 if the ball lands on the straight bet number 26. If the ball lands on the other six numbers, the winner will get paid 18:1. The Zero game bet is also called the five-piece bet and has a variation in which an additional straight bet must be placed on number 19.
Les Finales
The final bets have two variations- Finales en Plein Bets (Final Bets) & Finales a Cheval (Full Complete Bets).
Finales en Plain/Final Bets
Final bets allow players to place straight bets on numbers ending with a similar number.
Four chips must be used for numbers between 0 and 6, as they can have four combinations.
Players must bet using three chips for straight bets on number combinations, including numbers 7 to 9. This is because the numbers 7, 8, and 9 can have only three number combinations.
Examples of the straight bet number combinations and the number of chips required, along with their payouts, are shown in the table below.
| Straght bet combination | number of chips | payout |
|---|---|---|
| 0,10,20,30 | 4 | 35:4 |
| 1,11,21,31 | 4 | 35:4 |
| 2,12,22,32 | 4 | 35:4 |
| 3,13,23,33 | 4 | 35:4 |
| 4,14,24,34 | 4 | 35:4 |
| 5,15,25,35 | 4 | 35:4 |
| 6,16,26,36 | 4 | 35:4 |
| 7,17,27 | 3 | 35:3 |
| 8,18,27 | 3 | 35:3 |
| 9,19,29 | 3 | 35:3 |
Finales a Cheval/Full Complete Bets
In Finales a Cheval bet, players must play a series of straight and split bets based on the two numbers they selected. The reason behind this type of mixed bet is the table design.
If a player wants to wager on the two numbers 1 and 2, then the chip must be placed on the following:
- 1-2 Split bet
- 11-12 Split bet
- 21 Straight bet
- 22 Straight bet
- 31-32 Split bet
The player will have to wager five chips of equal denominations. The winner in this scenario will get paid 17:5 if any of the split bet numbers get called.
In case of a straight bet number being called out, the winner will get paid 35:5.
Call Bets versus Announced Bets
Call bet exists in French and European Roulette. If a player cannot cover their bet cost, the house offers them credit on the table. Whereas, in an announced bet, the player uses their own money.
Call bets and announced bets do not require players to place their chips on numbers on particular spots on the table layout. In both scenarios, the player only calls out their bets. For the announced bets, the player must have enough money on the table to cover the bet amount.
Not all casinos encourage call bets, nor are they legal in all jurisdictions. To check its availability, ask your croupier/dealer. Even if jurisdiction permits it, a casino may not be comfortable providing credit to its players instantly.
Before you play on a Roulette table, check the types of bets allowed and the maximums and minimums bets allowed on that table.
French Names for Outside Bets
The French Roulette table layout has the names of the outside bets written in French.
The below table mentions outside bet names in both languages.
| outside bets in English | outside bets in french |
|---|---|
| Red/Black | Rouge/Noir |
| Even/Odd | Pair/Impair |
| High/Low | Passe/Manque |
| Dozen 1-12 | P12 (Première Douzaine) |
| Dozen 13-24 | M12 (Moyenne Douzaine) |
| Dozen 25-36 | D12 (Dernière Douzaine) |
French Roulette FAQs
How many zeroes does a French Roulette wheel have?
The French Roulette wheel has a single zero pocket.
How is French Roulette similar to European Roulette?
French and European Roulette use the same Roulette wheel with a single 0 pocket. The basic rules for playing the game are the same.
What is the main difference between French and American Roulette?
In French Roulette, the wheel has a single zero pocket, while in American Roulette, the wheel has a single and a double zero pocket.