French roulette is the third most popular next to the American and European roulette. It is very much like the European roulette except for the table layout. There is one main addition to most French roulette tables, the racetrack betting area. This is also found on some European tables but is native to the French version.
Table layout
A French roulette table has the same wheel as the European version. The only difference is the layout of the betting area. If you played roulette before, you need to get used to the alternative layout. You should also get familiar with the naming conventions in the French variant.
Common Name – French Name
Pair – Even
Impair – Odd
Manque – Low (1-18)
Passe – High (19-36)
P-12 or Premiere 12 – 1st dozen (1-12)
M-12 or Moyenne 12 – 2nd dozen (13-24)
D-12 or Derniere 12 – 3rd dozen (25-36)
The racetrack
Great French roulettes feature a racetrack betting area. It lets you place bets that cover several sections of the roulette wheel. There are three main bets you can place on the racetrack.
Voisins du Zero or neighbors of zero. It covers seventeen numbers around and including the green 0.
Tiers du Cylindre or thirds of the wheel. This bet covers twelve numbers opposite the Voisins du Zero.
Orphelins or orphans. It covers the remaining eight numbers not covered by the two previous bets.
Neighbors. A neighbors bet covers five neighboring numbers on the roulette wheel.
Racetrack bets are also “called bets.” You have to call or announce these bets at the table when you play French roulette in a live casino.
La partage/En prison rules
There are la partage or en prison rules on some French roulette tables. These halve the house edge on all events bets from 2.70% to 1.35% only. They come into effect when you place an evens bet and the ball lands on the green 0.
For La partage, you get half of your evens bet back. For En prison, your evens bet will be “in prison” for one more spin. You win or lose on the next spin as normal. It serves as your second chance.
House edge
French roulette has the same house edge of 2.70% like European roulette. Their gameplay is the same and they only differ in the table layout.
French roulette is worth trying at least once. If you prefer something different, you can try the other games at Games 88 or SAgame 66.
