French Roulette is one of the most widely played varieties of roulette in both land-based and online casinos in the world. After all, roulette originated from France, when Blaise Pascal almost accidentally invented the primitive form of a game in the 18th century.
Canadians also share some of those French roots with roulette, which is why the game is so popular among them. Some of French Roulette’s main qualities that differentiate it from its American and European counterparts is the existence of two rules, La Partage and En Prison, which dramatically decreases the house edge. Also, there are a series of unique bets that can be seen only in the French version of roulette, contributing to the game’s quirkiness and appeal.
To help you out on your French Roulette adventure, we have come up with a list of the top gaming sites and online casinos in Canada where you can play the game and provided a detailed account of the gameplay, so check it out.
Top Canadian Online Casinos to Play French Roulette
Casino players should know that not all casinos are born equal. Our list of the best Canadian sites to play French Roulette online features only the platforms with fair and safe games from the leading providers, the most lucrative bonuses, and secure payment methods without which they would never have passed the control from our experts. Feel free to choose from any of these and get the French Roulette show on the road.
French Roulette: Table Layout
French Roulette is similar to its American and European cousins, yet quite different in some regards. First, the French version of the game is played on a standard European wheel with numbers from 1 to 36 and a single green zero. Other numbers’ colour alternates between black and red, and the numbers appear to be placed randomly and not in a particular order.
The wheel is usually situated at the centre of the table, with the betting fields located on both sides. However, some providers tend to get carried away with their design and may structure the table differently. However, a thing that can be seen in all the versions of the French Roulette is the labels on the betting boxes and other details written in French. Names such as Impair/Pair that stand for Odd/Even bet or Manque/Passe used instead of Low/High is what you can notice right away.
Another crucial difference in the table layout is the position of the so-called outside bets, which is an area also known as the Racetrack. The Racetrack bets are usually placed on both sides of the table, unlike in the American and European versions, where they are only on one side.
How to Play French Roulette: Types of Bets and Payouts
The game’s goal is like in all other roulette versions: players need to predict where the ball will land on the roulette wheel. A dealer will spin the wheel and flick a small ceramic ball in the opposite direction of the wheel’s rotation. After the ball loses its momentum, it will land in one of the coloured brackets. If the outcome of the spin matches your bet in any way — you win! The general house advantage in French Roulette is set at 2.7%, and each of the bets has its payout ratio.
There are several types of bets you can place in French Roulette online games, so let’s see what those are:
Inside Bets
Inside bets consist of a single number, several adjacent numbers, or small groups of numbers you can bet on. Since French Roulette payouts directly correspond to the type of bet you choose, it’s good to know that the inside bets are among the highest paying ones. The inside bets are as follows:
- Straight bet — A bet you place on a single number, and it has a payout of 35:1
- Split bet — A wager placed on two adjacent numbers on the grid with a 17:1 payout
- Street bet — A bet that includes three numbers in a row and has an 11:1 payout
- Corner bet — A corner bet includes four numbers and has an 8:1 payout
- Line bet — A bet that features two rows of three numbers, or six numbers in total, and has a 5:1 payout
Outside Bets
The outside bets are where things get tricky, but not so much for the Canadians, we can say. The outside bets are written in French, but there will also be English translations. Let’s check them out:
- Column bet — A bet that includes one of the three columns of numbers and has a 2:1 payout.
- Douzaine or a Dozen bet — Douzaine is a bet that features 12 numbers, and the betting box is located in two areas. You can choose the first set of 12 numbers (from 1 to 12), marked as Premier or 12P, the second set (from 13 to 24), marked as Moyenne or 12M, or the third set (from 25 to 36), marked as Dernière. The payout for each is set at 2:1.
- Rouge/Noir or a Bet on colour — A simple bet that features all black or all red numbers. The payout is set at 1:1.
- Pair/Impair or an Odd/even bet — With this bet, players choose an odd or an even number. The possible payout is 1:1.
- Manque/Passe or a Low/high bet — Manque or Passe bet is where you choose either the low numbers, from 1 to 18, or high numbers, from 19 to 36. The payout is 1:1.
Announced Bets
Announced bets are what spices things up in French Roulette online games quite a lot. These bets also have strictly French names and are easy to grasp.
- Voisins du Zero — This bet covers all the numbers on the wheel between 22 and 25, and you use nine chips on the table and spread them as split bets, corner bets, and street bets.
- Jue Zero — This bet includes six numbers on either side of the zero, and the zero.
- Le Tiers du Cylindre — This bet includes all numbers opposite to the zero, going from 27 to 33.
- Orphelins — This bet covers eight numbers not included by the previously mentioned bets.
- Finales — A bet on all numbers ending in a particular digit (2,12,22, 32).
Special Rules of French Roulette
Probably the most crucial distinction of the French Roulette is the existence of the La Partage and En Prison rules. The La Partage is French for sharing or dividing and is a rule that says if the ball lands in a zero pocket, the players who have placed even money bets will get half of the money back, while the other half goes to the house.
The En Prison, which translates to ‘in prison,’ is a rule seen mostly in land-based casinos in Monaco but is also found in French Roulette online games. The rule stipulates that all losing even money bets will remain ‘imprisoned’ on the table until the next spin, and if the player’s even money bet is the winner of the next round, the stake is returned to the player.
These special rules actually reduce the house edge to only 1.35%, which drastically improves the French Roulette payout and odds.
FAQ
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What are the odds in French Roulette?
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How many pockets are there on the French Roulette wheel?
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Are there any betting strategies for French Roulette?
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Can I play French Roulette in Canada?