French roulette is a hugely popular variant of the classic wheel-spinning game, available at most online and land-based casinos. Not only does it boast fast-paced gameplay, but French roulette has the lowest house edge of all the variants, so payouts can be particularly generous.
But how does it work? Keep reading to learn how to play French roulette, get French roulette tips, and more!
What is French Roulette and How Is It Different from Other Variants?
French roulette is similar to American and European roulette, but with a few major differences.
As in European roulette, French roulette wheels feature 37 pockets. These are split into 18 black pockets, 18 red pockets, and a green single-zero pocket. The outside bets are separated on either side of the table, unlike in European and American roulette.
One of the main differences is the La Partage rule (“sharing”): if a ball lands on the zero, players receive half of their even-money bets back. That’s not the case in American and European roulette — the casino keeps the bet for itself.
The En Prison rule can tip the game in your favour, too. Your bet stays on the table for the next spin if the ball lands on zero. Win that next spin and your bet is released from the table and returned back to you.
French Roulette RTP
House edge refers to the advantage that the house (casino) has over players: if the ball lands in the green zero pocket, all wagers are off and the casino claims them instead.
French roulette has a lower house edge, and a higher Return to Player (RTP) rate, than other roulette variants.
European roulette’s house edge is 2.7% (97.3% RTP), as the wheel contains just a single zero. But the house edge almost doubles to 5.26% (94.74% RTP) in American roulette, due to the extra green pocket (double zero). That gives the casino double the chance to win on any spin.
Why is French roulette’s house edge so much lower? It’s all down to the La Partage rule. The house edge drops to 1.35% (98.65% RTP) when you make an even-money bet.
Distinct French Roulette Betting Explained
There are three types of bets available in French roulette: straight, even-money, or call (or announced) bets.
- Straight bets are the simplest: you wager on the ball landing on just one number.
- Even-money bets refer to wagering on odd/even or black/red numbers. The La Partage and En Prison rules can bring you a second chance to win on even-money bets.
- Call bets refer to more varied wagers, all with French names. For example, Voisins du Zero (“neighbours of zero”) allows you to bet on all numbers between 22 and 25.
Seasoned players may prefer to use call bets, as they have more in-depth knowledge of the table layout, odds, and rules.
However, even-money bets are generally considered the best as they offer the strongest odds of winning. Players might only use straight bets when they believe a specific number is likely to win.
Roulette Table Bet
French Roulette Helpful Tips
Looking for some French roulette tips before you start playing?
No problem. Let’s start with a few French roulette simple tips, then explore the croupier calls, bets, and call bets you need to know.
- Always pick French roulette tables with betting limits that suit your budget, so you can’t wager more than you can afford.
- Try the 1 - 3 - 2 - 6 bet plan. For example, if you bet £5 first, bet £15 next, followed by £10, then £30. This strategy can reduce the risk of spending too much in a single game.
- Remember: French roulette is a game of chance, and you can’t know exactly where the ball will land next. Focus on enjoying the gameplay rather than winning.
Croupier Calls and Table Staples
You’ll see or hear these calls and table staples while you play French roulette online:
- Coup — Tossing the ball into the spinning wheel.
- Jeton — A wagering chip.
- Faites vos jeux! — “Place your bets, please!”
- Râteau — The rake a croupier uses to move chips across the table.
- Rien ne va plus — “Nothing more goes” (no more bets).
Bet Descriptions
Here are the bets available in French roulette:
- Cheval (horse) — Betting on two adjacent numbers.
- Plein — Wagering on a single number.
- Douzaine — Betting on any of the three sets of dozen numbers.
- Premier — Betting on the first 12 numbers.
- Milieu — Betting on 13 to 24.
- Dernièr — Betting on 25 to 36.
- Carré — A bet on four numbers in a square.
- Passé — Betting on 19 to 36.
- Impair — Wagering on odd numbers.
- Pair — Wagering on even numbers.
- Noir — Betting on black.
- Rouge — Betting on red.
- Manque — The ball didn’t get past 18 on the wheel.
- Street — Wagering on three numbers in a horizontal line.
- Transversale Simple — Placing a bet on the line between two street wagers.
- Transversale Pleine — Wagering on a cross-row of numbers.
Fixed Roulette Odds
Call Bets
French roulette features the following call bets:
- Voisins du Zero (“Neighbours of Zero”) — Betting on the 17 numbers from 22 to 25.
- Orphelins (“Orphans”) — Betting on 1 - 9 on the wheel’s left and 17 - 6 on the wheel’s right.
- Jeu Zéro — Wagering on two numbers to the right of zero and four to its left.
- Tiers du Cylindre — Betting on numbers 33 to 27 (12 numbers).
French Roulette Conclusion
Now that you’ve read our guide on how to play French roulette, we hope you have a better idea of the basic gameplay, rules, and strategies.
It’s a fast game with a great house edge and varied bets, but remember: it’s a game of chance. Play responsibly and never bet more than you can afford.
