Playing Roulette. Roulette is a casino game named after the French word meaning little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number, various groupings of numbers, the colors red or black, whether the number is odd or even, or if the numbers are high (19–36) or low (1–18).
There is little doubt that roulette is one of the most popular games at the casino. The original French roulette sits alongside American and European roulette as one of the three most played variations of the game.
While these games look and play in almost identical ways, there are some key differences – especially when it comes to the casino house edge.
This guide starts by looking at exactly how this French version of the game differs from the others. The focus here is in the wheel, the house edge, the La Partage rule and the specific bets available.
Next, the most popular bet types are featured, alongside the odds you’ll receive for each. Next, NetEnt’s popular online version of the game – available in New Jersey – is then reviewed.
Everyone knows the basics of roulette –there’s a wheel and a metal ball and you’ll make bets on where it lands. This is obviously common amongst all forms of roulette. However, there are some subtle differences in this French version of the game that make a big difference.
In some versions of the game you’ll find a pair of zeros, and this is the case in American roulette. It’s a simple fact that the more zeros there are on a wheel, the higher the house edge.
In American roulette that edge is 5.26% (in some cases, you’ll find three zeros and the edge rises to 7.89%). In French roulette there is just a single zero, which immediately lowers the edge to 2.7%.
French roulette comes with a La Partage rule, which cuts the house edge down to 1.35%.
This rule is specific to those 50/50 bets such as red/black and odd/even bets. If you’re unlucky enough to see the ball land in zero, you will receive half of your stake back.
If you are a player who likes these 50/50 bets, the French version of the game should certainly be preferable to you.
It should be noted that while live casinos offer the La Partage rule, it doesn’t appear to be available in the online version provided by NetEnt. NetEnt’s French roulette is also missing the En Prison rule.
The other key differences in French roulette are the following unique bets available:
With the La Partage rule in French roulette, many will stick to the popular 50/50 bets. These include betting on red or black, which is the most popular and famous bet in the casino, and odd/even bets and high/low wagers (1-18 or 19-36). Sticking to these will ensure that low house edge of 1.35% and all will double your money if you win.
Straight bets are popular, where you’ll bet on just a single number and these pay out at odds of 35:1.
Split bets, where you place the chips between 2 numbers and win if either come in, pay 17:1, while corner bets (place the chips in the corner between 4 numbers) pay 8:1.
Other popular bets include columns, where you’ll bet on 1, 4, 7, 10, 13 etc. and dozens where you’ll bet on the 1-12, 13-24 or 25-36 ranges. Each of these pay 2:1.
This online version of the game is now available at a number of legal US casinos.
Once the game loads you’ll be impressed by the expansive set up. A large black roulette wheel slowly rotates anti-clockwise at the top of the screen, the visuals impressive enough to make you wonder if this is indeed a virtual game. Below is the large betting lay out.
In this game you’ll get to choose exactly what stakes to play. With a minimum bet size of just 10c and a maximum of $5,000, this game is designed for all players, whatever your bankroll.
To place a bet, you’ll simply click and hold one of the chip denominations and drag it into place onto the betting area. All of the betting options are there.
Being the ‘French’ version of the game, words such as ‘Manque’ (1-18) or Passe (19-36) appear, while there is an option to bring up the extra bets such as ‘Voisins du Zero’ by clicking on the ‘Open Racetrack’ option.
This game features hot and cold numbers on the main screen, and a stats option – many will use the results of previous spins to form their decision on the next one.
Other options include rebet, clear previous bet, clear all bets and double all bets. On hitting spin, the excitement starts – and your account will be updated immediately after any winning spins.
While it is impossible to consistently beat roulette, due to the house edge, it does pay to ensure that the house edge is as low as possible. French roulette is therefore the best option online. While a low house edge can never guarantee a win, it does give you the best chance of having a winning session.
While some promise fail-safe systems that guarantee wins at roulette, these are all false. If there were such systems, casinos would go broke in a day, and there is little sign of that happening.
If you’re serious about roulette, this French version of the game should certainly be your game of choice. That tiny house edge gives you the very best chance to be successful at the game, while there is something pleasing about playing the most ‘historic’ form of roulette.
The ability to play French roulette online in states such as Pennsylvania and New Jersey today have opened up the game to many players. As long as you are within the state lines you can give the wheel a spin.
Roulette is one of the most well-known casino games named after the French word meaning little wheel. It is played by choosing to place bets on either a single number or various groups of numbers based on color-coding, even-odd, or high and low numbers.
This is nothing new for the experienced players online. There are many roulette games to choose from, and a huge catalog can be found at https://www.bobcasino.com/.
Things are often done differently in the USA, and Roulette is no exception to this. American Roulette is one of the most popular versions of the Roulette among the punters. It might seem similar at a glance, but if you look closely, you’ll notice the additional green pocket compared to the French and European versions.
American Roulette rules are similar to other versions of the game, the bets are placed, and the wheel is spun, and the bets are paid out based on where the ball lands. Being an American variant saves you from the French Roulette jargon and will help you save some time as the descriptions and announcements are pretty straight forward.
The wheel has 38 pockets, instead of the 37 from the standard version, with the introduction of a double zero pocket. The layout of the table is similar to the European standard and is fairly easy to grasp. The wheel has the numbers ordered, unique to the American version, like so: 0, 28, 9, 26, 30, 11, 7, 20, 32, 17, 5, 22, 34, 15, 3, 24, 36, 13, 1, 00, 27, 10, 25, 29, 12, 8, 19, 31, 18, 6, 21, 33, 16, 4, 23, 35, 14, 2.
The American version differs from the European version in terms of profit. American casinos have stuck to the double zero pockets on the wheel as it increased their profit by increasing the house edge and worsening the player’s chances of winning. These green pockets placed on the opposite sides of the wheel facing each other will help you identify whether you’re playing the American Roulette or a standard one.
As the house edge is higher in an American Roulette game as compared to the standard European one, most players prefer to play the standard Roulette. But many casinos know that players aren’t fools who’ll knowingly choose to play an American Roulette game. Thus for attracting the players to the game, certain house edge-reducing rules are offered.
The rule lets players lose only half of their original bet amount if the ball lands on either of the zeros, single or double. This ultimately drops the house edge from 5.26% to 2.63%, making it even lower than the standard house edge, 2.70% adding a huge advantage to the players who choose to play the American version of Roulette.