Perhaps one of the most iconic casino games in the world, Roulette is well-known for its unique wheel and streamlined gameplay. From its origins in 18th century France, the game has evolved over the centuries and spawned a few major variations.
Even before the advent of Roulette online, the game had already split into three main varieties: European, American and French. These each play a little differently, so it’s worth knowing the key things that set these variations apart before looking to choose a game.
European Roulette
First up, European Roulette is the most common format of the game and is a popular choice among players. It’s changed a little bit from the version first pioneered in France, but when most people think of Roulette this is the version they’re thinking of.
The European Roulette wheel features a total of 37 numbered pockets, the alternating black and red of one to 36 and the green zero. This single green pocket means that the house edge stands at 2.7%, which is lower than you’ll see in an American Roulette game.
Many online Roulette games are based on the European format, often with additional rules and gameplay twists added to shake up the traditional formula.
American Roulette
When Roulette first made its way across the Atlantic it proved popular in the casinos of New Orleans. But the American gaming establishments decided to tweak the formula slightly to improve their house edge, leading to the addition of a second zero pocket.
As a result, the American Roulette wheel features 38 pockets, which dilutes the odds of the ball landing on any single number. The two green pockets – zero and double zero – give the house an edge of 5.26%, reducing the chances of the player winning a spin.
Even with its higher bias towards the house, American Roulette proved the more popular format for players in the US. You can find plenty of games following this format online, even though it still comes in second to European Roulette in overall popularity.
French Roulette
You might think that French Roulette is just another name for European, but that isn’t quite true. This format does use the same wheel design as European – with 37 pockets and a single zero – but it also includes some additional rules.
What sets French Roulette apart are its la partage and en prison rules, which offer the player a degree of protection against the ball landing in the zero pocket.
La partage means that players will only lose half of an even-money wager in the case of the ball landing on zero. The en prison rule gives players the option to ‘imprison’ their wager if the ball lands on zero, with the chance to have the wager returned to them if their bet lands on the next spin.
These only apply to even-money bets, which are those where a player wagers on a 50/50 split such as red/black or odd/even.
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Each of these variations changes up the basic Roulette formula slightly, offering a slightly different experience to players compared to each other. Whether European, American or French Roulette sounds best to you, all three formats are available to play online and at land-based casinos.
