Explaining the major varieties of Roulette

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It’s hard to argue that there’s any casino game as iconic as Roulette. This classic table game has been around for centuries and is instantly recognisable for its unique wheel. But any game with a history as long as Roulette naturally changes and evolves over time, leading to the creation of different varieties.

Whether you’re playing a live Roulette game or a purely digital one, there are a few major varieties that you’ll have available to choose from. So, let’s take a look at the main formats that players are likely to encounter and how they differ from each other.

European Roulette

The most common and widely played version of Roulette, the European format, is a true classic. Many variants with additional rules or twists on the core gameplay formula base themselves off European Roulette, so it’s a format you’re likely to see a lot of.

European Roulette’s wheel features a total of 37 numbered pockets, alternating in red and black except for the green zero pocket. The single zero means that this variety has a lower house edge than others, with an edge of just 2.7%. This is part of what makes European Roulette such an enduring popular choice among players.

American Roulette

Originating – obviously – from America, this format of Roulette changes up the basic design of the classic wheel. To increase the house edge in their favour, US casinos opted to add an additional pocket to the wheel for a total of 38.

The double zero pocket is also green and effectively doubles the house edge over European Roulette. That house edge of 5.26% has made American Roulette a less popular variety outside of its homeland, as the ball is more likely to land on a green pocket and forfeit all player bets.

Aside from the format of the wheel – and its core design change – American Roulette plays much the same as its European cousin.

French Roulette

As you might expect, French Roulette looks very similar to the European format. The design of the central wheel is essentially identical between the two, with both varieties using a wheel with 37 pockets and the single zero.

What sets French Roulette apart from the other major varieties lies in its ruleset and some unique player options that diminish the overall house edge. The two rules that make French Roulette stand out are known as La Partage and En Prison.

La Partage is a rule that sees players only lose half of their wager if they made an even-money bet (like black/red or odd/even) and the ball lands on zero. This means that the house edge on those even-money wagers is just 1.35%.

En Prison is a similar rule, coming into play if the ball lands in the zero pocket. This allows for an even-money bet to be ‘imprisoned’ after the spin if the result is a zero. If the next spin comes up as a win for the wager, then the player receives their stake back without an additional payout.

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Most online variants of Roulette base themselves off one of these three major varieties, so it’s worth knowing how they vary before picking a live Roulette game to play.