How Does Online French Roulette Work?

French roulette follows the basic outline of a typical roulette game. You will place bets that predict where a ball will stop on a spinning wheel which contains numbered pockets. If you make a correct prediction, your bet is a winner. You can bet on a single number at long odds, or cover more potential outcomes at lower odds.

French roulette is played using a single zero wheel, which provides better odds for players. It also utilizes other rules designed to make the game as fair as possible for you. This makes online French roulette one of the best ways to enjoy this casino classic.

Playing French roulette online works similarly to playing in a real-world casino. You’ll have the same bets and payouts. The only difference is that you’ll place your bets on a graphical layout that’s on your computer, tablet, or phone screen. You can control the pace of spins, allowing you to play as quickly or slowly as you like. If you’re looking for a realistic online experience, you can also join the top live dealer roulette casinos.

French Roulette Table Layout

The basics of the French roulette table layout are similar to that of a European roulette table. The main betting area features the 36 numbers on the wheel laid out in three rows of 12, with a green zero at the top of the table. The popular outside bets like odd/even and red/black are placed above and below the number grid.

You may see two major changes on a French roulette table however. First, and most significantly, many tables include an additional racetrack layout. This oval area lists the numbers in the order they appear on the wheel. This allows you to place special French bets that group numbers based on where they appear on the wheel.

In addition, many tables feature French names for the outside bets. This is only a cosmetic change, and almost all tables also include the English names for these bets as well to help avoid any confusion.

Difference Between American, European, and French Roulette

Casinos sometimes offer online French roulette alongside the American and European versions of the game. Each of these games is slightly different, with French roulette offering the best odds for players.

American roulette is the game with the most dramatic changes when compared to the French version. In American roulette, casinos use a double zero wheel, but the payouts on all bets are the same. That means that the house edge is much higher, as you have a lower chance of winning on any given spin.

On the other hand, European roulette is very similar to French roulette, as both games use the more favourable single-zero wheel. However, French roulette uses a few special rules that benefit players, which you won’t find in a typical European game.

Special Rules of French Roulette

French roulette odds are superior to those in European roulette because of special rules that apply to even money bets such as red/black or high/low when a zero is spun. These rules come in two main varieties, though they offer similar benefits.

In “En Prison,” your even money bets remain on the board in the case of a zero. If the bet wins on the next spin, you’ll get your money back; otherwise, it loses as normal. If a French roulette casino uses the “La Partage” rule, you’ll lose on a zero, but only half of your money is lost.

In either case, this effectively cuts the house edge on even money bets in half. All other bets offer identical odds to those in European roulette.

Inside Bets

Inside bets are those that are placed directly on the numbers on the table layout, and offer higher payouts than outside bets.

• Straight Bet: A wager on a single number, made by placing your chips directly on a number. This bet pays 35/1 if your number hits.
• Split Bet: A bet that covers two numbers on the layout, which you can make by putting chips on the line between the two numbers. A winning bet pays 17/1.
• Street Bet: This bet covers a row (or street) of three numbers. If any of these numbers wins, your bet pays at 11/1 odds.
• Corner Bet: A bet that covers four numbers, placed on the intersection that touches all four boxes. If any of these numbers win, the bet pays 8/1.
• Six Line: This bet covers two streets for a total of six numbers. If any of these numbers hit on the next spin, you win at 5/1 odds.

Outside Bets

Outside bets are those placed on the outer portions of the French roulette table layout. These bets cover many numbers at once, but also pay out at lower odds as a result.

• Red/Black: Each of these bets covers all of the numbers of the corresponding colour. A winning bet pays 1/1.
• Even/Odd: These bets cover all of the even or odd numbers on the wheel. If one of your numbers hits, you win at 1/1 odds.
• High/Low: The low bet covers the numbers 1-18, while high covers 19-36. Either bet pays out at 1/1 odds.
• Column Bets: These bets can be made by placing chips below one of the three columns on the layout, and cover the 12 numbers in that column. A winning bet pays 2/1.
• Dozen Bets: These bets cover 1-12, 13-24, or 25-36. If a number in your range hits, then you’ll be paid at 2/1 odds.

En Prison

Some casinos use this rule, which applies to even money bets like red/black or odd/even. With this rule, an even money bet does not lose when the ball lands on zero. Instead, your bet is “imprisoned,” and remains on the table for the next spin. If that bet wins on the next spin, you will get it back; otherwise, it loses as normal. Rules can vary on what happens on a second zero: you may lose immediately, or the bet might remain in prison for another spin.

La Partage

This is a simpler version of the “en prison” rule. Once again, you will not lose your even money bets if the wheel lands on zero. However, you’ll simply have half of your money returned, surrendering the other half. This has the same impact as en prison in the long run, but lacks the drama of waiting to see what happens on the next spin.

Voisins du Zero

This – and the following bets – are known as “French bets,” as they are usually only seen on French roulette tables that feature a racetrack layout. This bet means “neighbours of zero,” and covers the 17 numbers that surround the zero on the wheel. That includes 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, and 25. It takes nine chips spread on the layout to cover all of these numbers.

Finales

A finales en plein bet covers every number that ends in the same digit with straight bets. For instance, a finale 5 en plein covers 5, 15, 25, and 35, and requires four chips. The more complex finales a cheval bet uses splits where possible to cover two different final digits. For instance, a finales a cheval on four and five requires five chips: splits on 4/5, 14/15, and 34/35, along with straight bets on 24 and 25.

Orphelins

This bet covers “the orphans,” the numbers not covered in voisins du zero or le tiers du cylinder. There are two ways to play this bet – with five chips or eight – but both cover the numbers 17, 34, 6, 1, 20, 14, 31, and 9.

Le Tiers du Cylinder

This bet means “thirds of the wheel,” and covers the 12 numbers placed opposite the zero on the wheel. Six chips are used to cover 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, and 33.

Jeu Zero

The “zero game” covers just the six numbers around zero, along with the zero itself. Four chips are used to cover 0, 3, 12, 15, 26, 32, and 35.

Base your strategy around even money bets

You don’t have to stick entirely to bets like red and black. But since the best odds are found on these wagers thanks to the player-friendly rules, you should make sure to utilize them as part of your overall strategy.

Stick to a budget

Roulette is a high variance game, where you can go through big winning and losing streaks. That means bankroll management is important. Bet only a small amount of your balance on any one spin to ensure you can survive any bad luck you encounter.

Take advantage of bonuses

Roulette bonus offers and promotions can improve your odds by allowing you to play with the casino’s own money. Each of our recommended online French roulette sites for Arab players offers various bonuses you can use to get more value for your money.

Pick a system that fits your play style

There are dozens of popular roulette systems and strategies out there, from classics like the Martingale and Paroli systems to lesser-known approaches like the D’Alembert or 1-3-2-6 system. While none of these can consistently beat the house edge, each offers a different style of play. If you want to use a system, find one that makes French roulette the most fun for you.

Don’t look for patterns

One common mistake for French roulette players is to consider what numbers have come up recently in order to try and predict what will happen next. Remember, the roulette wheel doesn’t have a memory: every result is completely random and has nothing to do with other numbers you’ve seen recently.