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French roulette casino game

french rouletteFrench roulette is a European-style roulette game variant with a single zero. Even as it is often mistakenly called 'European roulette', it is a separate and self-sufficient type of the casino roulette game. The game of roulette itself in its actual form comes from France. Even the origin of the word 'roulette' (meaning 'little wheel') is French. Thus, French roulette may be seen as the predecessor to the European and American roulette game varieties. And despite the similarity of the wheel and general game rules, French roulette has its own unique features that differentiate it from the other variants of the game.

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Intro to French Roulette

French Roulette is one of the three variations of the favorite casino table game of Roulette with the other two being American and European versions. This version is a little different, and the main reason is that of the layout of the table. The table is the same for all three versions with numbers 1-36 on alternative red and black colors with the single 0 in green. That is the main variation between the three versions, as the American version has a 0 and a 00 while the other two versions only have the single 0. With just the single 0 it reduces the house edge making it more profitable for the player.

The Other Differences

Besides the single 0, there are some other reasons the version of the game from France varies from the different two variations of the favorite table game. On that table, you will see that all the colors of the numbers are in a while in the American version all the numbers are in either red or black while the 0 and the 00 are in green. The other difference between the versions of the game has to deal with the betting field. Also, the outside bets in the American version of the game are located on the left side of the betting table where in this version you will see them in two separate areas being on both sides of the betting table.  All of the outside bets have a name in and, often they are in English just below it. The rules of the game are the same for all three versions with the same payouts, but the house edge is lower in the version from France, and because of only the single 0 there can be different wheel strategies.

Why Play this version of the Game?

Besides the overall excitement of the game of French Roulette is an excellent choice since it offers players the lowest house edge. When playing Roulette online besides choosing the version you want to play you have two other main decisions:

  • Play for Free
  • Play for Money

Playing Roulette, no matter what variation you play, for free is an excellent way to get to know the game and how to come up with betting strategies. It can also just be a way to play for fun without having to spend any money. The bets are still the same=, but no money is involved. In the real money game, no matter what version, you are wagering the real green on the spinning wheel. No matter what variation of the game you play there will always be many betting options available from the straight bet and color bet to the dozens bet and even-odd bet.

All in all, no matter if you play  Roulette or any other version and play for free and real money the spinning Roulette wheel determines the winner. Many bets and a few versions are why Roulette is one of the most popular table games.

French roulette wheel and table layout

The wheel in French roulette is the same as that in European and American roulette. It has black and red color pockets on it that represent numbers from 1 to 36 and a single zero. Numbers on the wheel are arranged in a certain order corresponding to that on the European roulette wheel.

The basic difference of French roulette compared to the other variants is that all numbers on the layout here are red. This doesn't really affect the rules of the game as the wheel still has red and black numbers. It may be considered as a special design style preferred by the French.

French roulette terms

Another specific feature of French roulette is that all terms used in the game process are in French. That's why the player might need a glossary of the French terms:

  • Pair means even numbers
  • Impair means odd numbers
  • Manqué means low numbers (1 to 18)
  • Passé means high numbers (19 to 36)
  • Premiere 12 (P-12) stands for the first 12 numbers
  • Moyenne 12 (M-12) stands for the second 12 numbers
  • Derniere 12 (D-12) stands for the third 12 numbers

Rules of French roulette

The rules of French roulette are quite the same as in European and American variants. The players are to make their bets on possible winning numbers on the table layout. Bets can only be made until the ball launched by the croupier starts losing its speed and is ready to fall into one of the pockets. The pocket the ball fall into defines the winning number. The croupier then distributes payouts or sweeps the lost bets off the table.

The players can make inside or outside bets. Inside bets are bets on a single number or on a small group of numbers according to their vicinity on the layout. They pay the most but are at the same time almost improbable just as it is almost impossible to guess the exact number the ball will land on. Outside bets are made on larger groups of numbers (like Dozens - 1st, 2nd or 3rd 12 numbers on the layout or Columns - vertical lines 12 numbers each) or on Even/Odd, Black/Red or High/Low numbers.

Rules of La Partage and En Prison

French roulette offers two rules to the players' advantage. These are the La Partage rule and En Prison rule. Both rules come into effect when outside bets are made and the outcome is zero. La Partage rule means that when zero is the result of the spin, the player loses only half of his or her bet. According to the En Prison rule, the player gets an opportunity to postpone his or her bet for the next game. If the second bet wins, the player gets it back, if it loses, the player loses the bet respectively. With another zero outcome the bet will be postponed for yet another spin.