American, European, French Roulette – What’s the Difference?
One of the first challenges faced by many new roulette players is encountered before they’ve even had a chance to place their first bet. The challenge is deciding which of the classic casino games’ versions to play. The three best-known versions are those that developed in the USA, in France, and in other parts of Europe. You can play all three of them for real money at Ruby Fortune, or you can find out the differences between them, and then play your favourite – which is probably a good idea.
Basic Roulette Gameplay
Before we look at the differences between American, European, and French roulette, let’s take a look at what they have in common. This is nothing other than the iconic gameplay you want to experience for yourself. All three versions use a wheel and a table. The wheel has numbered red, black, and green pockets in it, and the table is marked with a betting grid with two main areas. A ball is dropped into the spinning roulette wheel once bets on where the ball will land have been placed.
American Roulette
The biggest difference between American, and European and French roulette is found in the wheel. The American version’s wheel has 38 pockets, whereas the wheels of the others have 37 pockets. The extra pocket is numbered double zero, and the other pockets are numbered between a single zero and 36. The additional zero pushes up the house edge, and makes it trickier to land wins.
European Roulette
European roulette is arguably the most popular version of the game at Ruby Fortune. The 37 pockets in its wheel are numbered zero, and from one to 36. Its lower house edge means you are likely to land wins fairly often. There are also no complicated twists in the rules, so the action it offers is straightforward yet exciting.
French Roulette
You’re probably wondering how French roulette could possibly be different to European roulette, seeing as they both use the same type of wheel. The big difference is rules that are unique to the French version. The rules allow for additional bets known as Call bet, as well as for En Prison, which could see a lost bet returned to you, and La Partage. The La Partage rule means that, if the ball lands in the green zero pocket when you’ve placed an Outside bet, half your bet will be returned to you. Experience roulette thrills at Ruby Fortune!
