French Roulette

The rules that matter

La partageruleLa partageFrench rule: when zero hits, half of an even-money stake is returned. Halves the house edge on those bets to 1.35%.Read full →: half of an even-money stake returned on zerowheelZeroThe single green pocket that no even-money, dozen or column bet covers; the source of the house edge. Also: single zero, 0.Read full →. En prisonruleEn prisonFrench rule: when zero hits, an even-money bet is held for the next spin instead of lost. Halves the house edge on those bets.Read full →: the stake is held for the next spin and returned if that spin wins. La partage gives EV = −1/74 on redbetRedEven-money bet on the 18 red numbers. French: rouge.Read full →, blackbetBlackEven-money bet on the 18 black numbers. French: noir.Read full →, odd, even, high and low, and so does en prison where a second zero keeps the chipmoneyChipA token representing a fixed amount, placed on the layout to make a bet. Also: check.Read full → in prison; where a second zero loses it, en prison costs slightly more, 1.39%. DozensbetDozen1–12, 13–24 or 25–36, pays 2:1.Read full →, columnsbetColumnTwelve numbers in one vertical column of the layout, pays 2:1.Read full → and inside betsbetInside betAny bet placed on or between the numbers of the grid: straight up, split, street, corner, six line.Read full → are not covered and stay at 2.70%. The two rules are described in full on their own pages in the Learn section.

Layout and language

French tables print manque/passe, pair/impair, rouge/noir and the dozens as P12, M12, D12. The layoutequipmentLayoutThe printed betting grid on the table. Also: table, felt, cloth.Read full → is double-ended with the dealer in the middle and a long rake; outside betsbetOutside betA bet on the boxes surrounding the grid: dozens, columns and even-money bets.Read full → are printed on both sides so players at either end can reach them. Call betstableCall betA bet announced to the dealer rather than placed by hand, usually a wheel-sector bet such as voisins or tiers. Also “announced bet”.Read full → (voisins, tiers, orphelinsFR · sectorOrphelins“Orphans”: the eight numbers left over by voisins and tiers: 17, 34, 6 and 1, 20, 14, 31, 9.Read full →) are standard and announced to the dealer, who repeats the call before placing it.

OrphelinsExpected Value of Call Bets

The arithmetic

On red: (18/37)(+1) + (18/37)(−1) + (1/37)(−½) = −1/74 ≈ −1.35%. A $10 red bettor over 100 spins expects to lose $13.51 instead of $27.03. It is the lowest house edgemathHouse edgeThe share of each stake the casino keeps on average: 2.70% in European roulette.Read full → of any standard roulette bet anywhere, and the only one that comes from a rule rather than a payoutmoneyPayoutWhat a winning bet returns, quoted as “X to 1” on top of the returned stake.Read full →.

Where you find it

French and Monegasque casinos, many European floors, and live tables labeled “French RoulettevariantFrench rouletteSingle-zero wheel with la partage or en prison, lowering the even-money house edge to 1.35%.Read full →”. Check the info panel: the label is sometimes applied to a plain European table with French-language graphics and no partage. Online, French tables often carry slightly higher minimums than European ones, which is the operator pricing the rule.

Strategy implications

Every even-money progressionstrategyProgressionAny rule that changes the stake based on previous results. Negative progressions raise it after losses, positive after wins.Read full → on this site halves its expected lossmathExpected lossExpected value times total amount wagered; the average amount lost over a session or a period.Read full → on a French table. None becomes profitable. If you intend to bet red for an evening, the table rule is worth more than the system, the stake sizing and the stop rule combined.

Questions