French roulette
One zero, two special rules for even-money bets, and a racetrack of call bets – here is how French roulette works and how to try it in the free simulator above.
The simulator needs JavaScript. The rules, payouts and house edge are below.
What is French roulette?
French roulette uses the same single-zero wheel as European roulette. It has 37 pockets: the numbers 1 to 36 plus one green zero pocket.
Two things make it different:
- Special rules for even-money bets – La Partage or En Prison, which give you something back when the ball lands on zero.
- Call bets – ready-made groups of numbers on an oval track next to the table, called the racetrack.
The table often shows French names, like Rouge (red), Noir (black), Pair (even) and Impair (odd). The bets are the same as on any roulette table.
The simulator above is already set to the French wheel. Place a bet on red or black and wait for a zero to see La Partage in action.
La Partage: half your bet back on zero
La Partage means "the sharing." If you make an even-money bet and the ball lands on the 0 pocket, you get half of your bet back. The other half goes to the house.
Even-money bets are:
- Red or black
- Odd or even
- Low (1–18) or high (19–36)
On a normal European wheel, these bets have a house edge of 2.70%. With La Partage, the house edge drops to 1.35%. For every hundred dollars bet on even-money bets, the average loss goes down from $2.70 to $1.35 – exactly half.
For all other bets – single numbers, splits, dozens, columns – the house edge stays at 2.70%.
La Partage only helps on even-money bets. If you like single numbers, French roulette costs the same as European roulette.
En Prison: your bet stays for one more spin
En Prison means "in prison." If you make an even-money bet and the ball lands on the 0 pocket, your bet is not lost right away. It stays on the table, locked, for the next spin.
- If your bet wins on the next spin, you get your bet back – but no winnings.
- If your bet loses on the next spin, the house takes it.
With one round of prison, the house edge on even-money bets is 1.39%. This is very close to La Partage at 1.35%, and both are much lower than the standard 2.70%.
A table uses either La Partage or En Prison, not both. Like La Partage, En Prison does not change any other bet.
La Partage and En Prison lower the cost, but the house edge is still there. Over many spins, your loss as a share of the total bet tends to get closer to the house edge.
Call bets: Voisins du zero
Call bets cover groups of numbers based on their position on the wheel, not on the table. You place them on the racetrack, and the chips are spread over several regular bets.
Voisins du zero means "neighbors of zero." It covers the 17 numbers around the zero on the wheel and takes 9 chips:
- Two chips on the 0-2-3 trio
- One chip on the 4/7 split
- One chip on the 12/15 split
- One chip on the 18/21 split
- One chip on the 19/22 split
- One chip on the 32/35 split
- Two chips on the 25/26/28/29 corner
The picture shows the covered pockets. They run from the 22 to the 25 on the wheel, with the zero in the middle.
Tiers, Orphelins and Jeu zero
Tiers du cylindre ("third of the wheel") covers the 12 numbers opposite zero. It takes 6 chips, one on each of these splits:
- 5/8 split
- 10/11 split
- 13/16 split
- 23/24 split
- 27/30 split
- 33/36 split
Orphelins ("orphans") covers the 8 numbers left over between Voisins and Tiers. These numbers sit in two separate sections of the wheel: the pockets 17-34-6 on one side and the pockets 1-20-14-31-9 on the other side. The bet takes 5 chips:
- One chip straight up on number 1
- One chip on the 6/9 split
- One chip on the 14/17 split
- One chip on the 17/20 split
- One chip on the 31/34 split
Jeu zero ("zero game") is a smaller version of Voisins. It covers 7 numbers – the zero and its closest neighbors – with 4 chips:
- One chip on the 0/3 split
- One chip on the 12/15 split
- One chip on the 32/35 split
- One chip straight up on number 26
Use the call bet buttons in the simulator above. Each button places all the chips for you, so you can see exactly where they go.
Payouts and how to practice
French roulette pays the same as European roulette. A single number pays 35 to 1, a split pays 17 to 1, and red or black pays 1 to 1. See all bets on the payouts page.
| Bet | Numbers | Pays | Chance to win | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight up One number | 1 | 35 to 1 | 2.70% | 2.70% |
| Split Two touching numbers | 2 | 17 to 1 | 5.41% | 2.70% |
| Street A row of three | 3 | 11 to 1 | 8.11% | 2.70% |
| Trio 0, 1, 2 | 3 | 11 to 1 | 8.11% | 2.70% |
| Corner Four numbers in a square | 4 | 8 to 1 | 10.81% | 2.70% |
| First four 0, 1, 2, 3 | 4 | 8 to 1 | 10.81% | 2.70% |
| Six line Two rows, six numbers | 6 | 5 to 1 | 16.22% | 2.70% |
| Dozen 1–12, 13–24 or 25–36 | 12 | 2 to 1 | 32.43% | 2.70% |
| Column A column of twelve | 12 | 2 to 1 | 32.43% | 2.70% |
| Red or black Eighteen numbers | 18 | 1 to 1 | 48.65% | 1.35% |
| Even or odd Eighteen numbers | 18 | 1 to 1 | 48.65% | 1.35% |
| 1–18 or 19–36 Eighteen numbers | 18 | 1 to 1 | 48.65% | 1.35% |
Call bets do not change the house edge. Each chip is a normal bet with a 2.70% edge, so a call bet costs the same per chip as any other bet.
Ways to practice for free:
- Spin the French wheel above and compare even-money results with and without zero.
- Test a betting plan in the system tester – no system beats the house edge.
- Learn the basics on the rules page or see the wheel layout.
Questions
What is the difference between French and European roulette?
Both use the same single-zero wheel. French roulette adds La Partage or En Prison, which lowers the house edge on even-money bets from 2.70% to 1.35% or 1.39%.
Does La Partage apply to all bets?
No. La Partage only applies to even-money bets: red or black, odd or even, and low or high. All other bets keep the standard 2.70% house edge.
Which is better, La Partage or En Prison?
They are very close. La Partage has a house edge of 1.35% and En Prison with one prison round has 1.39%, so La Partage is slightly cheaper.
How many chips does Voisins du zero take?
Voisins du zero takes 9 chips and covers 17 numbers around the zero on the wheel.
Do call bets lower the house edge?
No. Call bets are just groups of regular bets, so each chip keeps the 2.70% house edge of the single-zero wheel.