What are the Roulette Variants?

Roulette is one of those casino games that have been played in one form or another for centuries. As of today, there are many popular variations of roulette, from American Roulette to European Roulette and the ever-green French Roulette. Both American and European roulette are standardized with minor rule variations.

Other than variety in land-based casinos, there are many forms of roulette games on online casinos. Then there are countries that have to adjust the rules to make sure that the game is being played legally.

In one case or another, choosing the right variation of roulette can help you in mastering the game.

American Roulette

American roulette is probably the most popular variation of the game and is widely played in casinos across the Americas. From Canada and the United States to the Caribbean and South America, American roulette is the heartbeat of budding casinos. The wheel consists of 38 digits with numbers from 1 to 36 along with a zero (0) and double zeros (00). Generally speaking, all bets payout at odds on an account of the presence of double zeros. For example, a single-digit bet will pay 35-1, where the house advantage is added through the zero and double zeros. Hence, in almost all the bets the house advantage is 5.26%.

In casinos with a variety of American roulette tables, single zero wheels are available on higher limit tables. This means that the house advantage is reduced to 2.7%, which European roulette players will be familiar with.

European Roulette

European roulette is widely played across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Online casinos, however, offer both American and European variations of roulette. European roulette generally offers better odds than American roulette. This is because European roulette consists of only one zero (0) wheel. This immediately makes European roulette more favourable for the players as the house advantage on most bets is only 2.7%.

European roulette features an ‘En Prison’ rule where players have the chance to recover bets if they wager on any even money bet and the ball lands on zero. For instance, if you play on black numbers and the ball lands on zero, then you will recover your wagered amount. That said, the amount you recover will depend on the rules of the casino. For example, in most casinos, you immediately recover half of your bet which cuts the house advantage to 1.35%.

French Roulette

French roulette is widely recognized as the more exclusive variation of roulette considering the French origins of the game. Generally speaking, French roulette is almost identical to European roulette, but with some visual differences.

For example, on French roulette tables, the betting area has all the numbers labelled in red. However, the red/black bet remains since the wheel has half-pocket numbers in black. This gives the table more elegance than actually affecting the play of the game.

French roulette uses the standardized ‘En Prison’ rule as well and is referred to as la Partage. While there are many other variations of the game, Roly Poly in the UK for instance, the core differences lie in the house advantage.