Roulette Terms French
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.
French Roulette. A variant of European Roulette which may offer La Partage or the “en prison rule“. The table layout is slightly different and the names of the sectors are in French. Five Number Bet. A bet covering the 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. Found only in American roulette- avoid it! French Roulette. A variant of European Roulette which may offer La Partage or the “en prison rule“. The table layout is slightly different and the names of the sectors are in French. Five Number Bet. A bet covering the 0, 00, 1, 2 and 3. Found only in American roulette- avoid it! The odds are terrible.
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.
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Table Of Contents
When you play online Casino games for real money, you want the best value and the best possible return.
So it’s vital that you choose the right Roulette rules if you want to play online Roulette games, or you could miss out.
For some bets, the French Roulette cuts the house edge to as little as 1.35%, which significantly improves your chances of winning compared to the 5.26% edge in the American version of the game.
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Play NowWhat is French Roulette
Online French Roulette uses the original version of the game, which legend has it, is based on failed experiments to create a perpetual motion machine by scientist Blaise Pascal in the 18th century.
In the mid 19th century, the game was taken across the water to America where they made changes to the wheel to increase the house edge, as well as changes to the playing table and the rules.
This means that the French Roulette table looks different, has more betting opportunities and delivers a better return to the player.
So, whenever you have the option, the French Roulette wheel should always be your first choice.
Differences between French and American Roulette
The biggest difference between the American and either the European or the French Roulette game is the number of zeros on the wheel.
An American Roulette wheel has both zero and double zero, setting the house edge at 5.26%, whereas a European or French Roulette wheel has just one, cutting the house edge in half to just 2.7%.
What’s more, the unique rules of the French game can cut that edge in half again, reducing their take to just 1.35% on even money bets.
The playing tables are subtly different too, with the outside bets on an American or European Roulette table all down one side, while the outside bets are split either side on the French Roulette table.
Even the numbers on the wheel can be different, with American numbers usually facing out and European or French numbers facing in.
The Basic Bets in French Roulette
The aim of the game in all styles of Roulette is to predict where the ball lands when the Roulette wheel stops spinning.
The croupier will spin the wheel one way and set the ball in motion in the other direction and it will spin until the ball lands in a numbered slot.
There are a number of basic bets you can make on the outcome, and each bet includes one or more possible numbers. These are grouped into inside and outside bets as follows:
Inside bets
- Straight bet: choosing a single number from the 36 available – pays 35:1
- Split bet: choosing two adjacent numbers on the grid – pays 17:1
- Street bet: choosing a row of three numbers – pays 11:1
- Corner bet:[/B] choosing a group of four numbers – pays 8:1
- Line bet:[/B] choosing two adjacent rows of numbers – pays 5:1
Note: the street and corner bets may also include the zero
Outside bets
One of the first things you will notice in a French Roulette game is that when it comes to the outside bets, the table is in French.
These bets translate as follows:
- Column bet: choosing one of the three columns of numbers – pays 2:1
- Douzaine = Dozen bet: choosing the Premier (first), Moyenne (second) or Derniere (third) set of 12 – shown as 12P, 12M or 12D – pays 2:1
- Rouge/Noir = Red/Black bet: choosing any red or black number – pays 1:1
- Pair/Impair = Odd/even bet: choosing an odd or even number – pays 1:1
- Manque/Passe = Low/high bet: choosing 1-18 or 19-36 – pays 1:1
A second chance for even money bets
In the American or European Roulette wheel, if the balls lands in the zero slot, you will lose any even-money bets, such as red/black or odd/even.
French Roulette Game
When you play on the French Roulette wheel, you don't lose: you get a second chance.
This can happen in one of two ways:
- En Prison rule: any losing even-money bet remains on the table and is imprisoned until the next spin. If it is a winner on that spin, the stake is returned to the player.
- Le Partage rule: any losing even-money bet is split 50:50 between the player and the house, so you only lose half of your stake.
Different Casinos play different rules, so it is important to know what the house Roulette rules are for even-money bets before you start to play.
Advanced Bets
How To Play French Roulette
As you get more experienced with the standard bets, or bored with the same old wagers, you can move on to what are called announced or called bets.
These may seem intimidating at first because of their exotic French names, but they are quite straightforward when you get the hang of them.
French Roulette Wheel
The main announced bets in the game of French Roulette are:
- Voisins du Zero (neighbours of zero): all numbers on the wheel between 22 and 25. This bet involves nine chips spread between splits, corners and threesomes of these numbers.
- Le Tiers du Cylinder (thirds of the wheel): all numbers opposite zero, from 27 to 33. This bet involves six chips placed as splits between these numbers
- Jue Zero (zero game): the six numbers either side of zero and the zero itself. This bet is played as three splits and a straight bet on 26
- Orphelins (orphans): the eight numbers not included in the above bets. This can be played as orphelins en cheval, costing five chips as four splits and a straight bet on 1, or as orphelins en plein, costing eight chips as straight bets on each number
- Finales: bets on all the numbers ending in a certain number (eg 6,16,26 and 36). Can be placed as either finales en plein (single number) or finales a cheval (either of two numbers). The stake varies according to the number of possibilities.
At the end of the day, whether you have a favourite number at your online Casino, or you prefer the coin-toss of an even money bet, French Roulette is by far your best route to the best odds, cutting the house edge by half or even three quarters.
So, choose your game carefully, place your bets and... vive la France!
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