A few games can match the charm of roulette. Although the ‘fortune’s wheel’ has been around for over 3 centuries, it’s still a common sight at most casino floors – be it in the glamorous Las Vegas casino venues or the grandiose Monte Carlo casino.
There have been many variations to roulette over the years, with each one offering its own distinctive gameplay features. Although you can now play all types of roulette variants with extra games and multipliers, the three ‘classic’ variations are the European, American, and French roulette. But how do they fare against each other regarding the gameplay, features, and odds?
In this article, we’ll discuss the distinguishing features of these three classic roulette variants. We’ll talk about the differences between the three regarding the wheel itself, how it affects the odds of winning, and which one is the best option for you.
European Roulette
The European roulette wheel is the most used variant across the globe. It is also referred to as single-zero roulette because in the wheel, there is only one zero pocket. Other pockets bear numbers one to thirty-six, with colors matching the normal red and black colors. These, since it is of a single zero variation, the win is just about to occur compared to the multiple zero roulette wheels.
There are 37 pockets in total, and you can place a variety of inside and outside bets. The most popular inside bets are the straight-up bet, split, and street. The payout for a straight-up bet in European roulette is 35:1, which means that if you were to wager $10 on a single number, and the ball lands in the exact pocket that you have chosen, you will win $360.
The house edge in European roulette is 2.70%, while the Return to Player ratio is 97.30%, which significantly increases your odds of winning.
American Roulette
The American roulette wheel is a common sight at most Las Vegas casino venues. The primary difference between the American roulette wheel in comparison to the European wheel is the addition of the double zero (00) pocket. So, instead of one zero pockets, the American roulette wheel has two zero pockets (0 and 00). They’re both green pockets, which lowers your odds of winning when playing even-money bets such as Red/Black, High/Low, and Even/Odds.
There are 38 pockets in total in the American roulette wheel, and even though the payout ratio is the same as with European roulette, the odds of winning are lower. For example, if the odds of winning a Street bet in European roulette are 8.10%, while the odds of winning the same bet when playing American roulette are 7.90%. The house edge in American roulette is 5.26%, which means that the Return to Player ratio is 94.74%.
French Roulette
The poshest roulette variant of the three classics is French roulette. The game is famous for its luxurious look and posh design, but it’s also the highest-paying roulette variant. Although it’s not as common as European and American roulette, and the table buy-in limits are often higher when compared to the other variants, French roulette has the highest Return to Player ratio and the lowest house edge. This is due to the two rules that make this game unique: the La Partage and En Prison rules.
Namely, the French roulette variant uses the same single-zero roulette wheel that’s used by the European roulette, and the number sequence is also the same. There’s only one zero pocket and there are 36 black and red pockets with numbers from 1 to 36. The bet types are generally the same, but the main difference is the two added rules.
The La Partage rule means that ‘you’re splitting’ your wager with the dealer in case the ball lands on the green pocket. This rule only applies if you’re betting on an even-money bet such as Even/Odd, High/Low, or Red/Black. If the ball lands on a zero, you’re splitting your wager with the dealer – so you get half your money back.
The En Prison rule, which translates to In Prison, means that your wager is ‘imprisoned’ if the ball lands on a zero. This rule also applies to even money bets, and in the case of a zero game, your wager is ‘locked’ until the next spin. So, you don’t lose your wager, but it stays for another spin.
The house edge of French roulette is just 1.35%, which makes it the roulette variant with the highest odds of winning and an RTP of 98.65%.
