French roulette is similar to European roulette in many ways, but there are some important differences that distinguish the French variant. In this article, we’ll explain these differences, describe the terms that are used for betting and demonstrate why French roulette players have an advantage over roulette players in casinos!
What is French Roulette?
French roulette is a game of chance in which you have to guess in which pocket of a spinning wheel a ball will end up by placing an appropriate bet. French roulette is believed to have appeared before other similar games but still has much in common with each of the other variants.
The traditional game uses the original French terms. The playing area on which the bets are placed is shown below.
Types of bets in French roulette
In many ways, the types of bets in French roulette are the same as in the other variants. The only difference is that their names are written in the original language.
The inside bets in French roulette are:
- En plein – Straight bet. This is a bet on a single number.
- Cheval – Split. This is a bet which covers two adjacent numbers.
- Transversale – Street. This bet covers three numbers in a selected row.
- Carre – Corner. This bet covers four numbers, comprising a selected square on the board.
- Sixainne – Line. This bet covers six numbers, comprising two adjacent rows with three numbers in each.
Outside betting on French roulette:
- Colonne – Column. This bet covers the twelve numbers in the selected column.
- Douzaine – Dozen. This bet also covers twelve numbers: 1-12, 13-24 or 25-36.
- Noir/Rouge – Red/Black. A 50/50 bet on either red or black.
- Pair/Impair – Even/Odd. A 50/50 bet on either an even or odd number.
- Manque/Passe – 1st/2nd half. A 50/50 bet on either a low (1-18) or high (19-36) number.
You can learn more about each roulette bet in the article entitled ‘Roulette: rules and types of bets’.
Differences between French and European Roulette
The main difference between French and European roulette is the RTP (Return-to-Player). The RTP is the theoretical percentage of money returned to the player over an extended period of time. For example, an RTP of 98% means that for every €100 a player stakes, a player would expect to have returns of €98. Therefore, the higher the RTP, the higher returns the player should get. Although, it should be borne in mind that the RTP is calculated over a massive number of bets placed, so in any short period of play, there will be some players who win more than the game’s RTP and some who win less.
In roulette, the European version has a 97.3% RTP, whilst the French version has a 98.75% RTP. This means that the French variant offers the greatest chance of winning!
This is due to some additional rules that give players an advantage.
La Partage rule
The ‘La Partage’ rule means that, if the ball lands on zero at the end of a spin, half of bets placed on any of the equal-odds options (50:50 bets) is refunded. For example, if you have placed €10 on an even number and the ball lands on zero, you’ll get €5 returned to you.
En Prison rule
The ‘En Prison’ rule works differently. In this case, when the balls lands on zero, the dealer marks all bets made on any of the equal-odds options. By taking this action, the dealer effectively ‘puts the bets in prison’, and the same bet is repeated on the next spin. If the bet wins on the next spin, the player gets the amount of their original bet back.
This is essentially a second, free try after the equal-odds bet did not win when the zero landed. However, it’s important to realise that this is not universally applied but is an optional rule that may be implemented at some casinos.
Note: The equal-odds bets in French roulette are: Noir/Rouge (Black/Red), Pair/Impair (Odd/Even) and Manque/Passe (Low/High).
Roulette comparison table
The following table shows the differences between French, European and American roulette tables. However, some roulette tables may have slightly different rules to these general terms.
French Roulette at the Marathonbet Live Casino
There are several variants of French Roulette available in the Marathonbet Live Casino:
– Live Football French Roulette
Try each game and choose the one that suits you best. Register with Marathonbet, make a deposit into your account and get access to Live Casino games from the world’s top providers.
Read our other Roulette guides in the blog: Roulette: game rules and bet types and Online Roulette Strategy and Guide.
