English and French roulette are quite similar but there are key variations that set them apart. The two types of roulette vary in rules, layout, house edge, and cultural elements.
Knowing these differences can help you make an informed decision on which roulette to play, and how to go about the game for the best leverage.
Besides pointing out these differences, we’ll cover the core and specific rules of each roulette to prepare you to play like a pro. Read on to learn more.
Basic Setup and Layout
French roulette offers an immersive playing experience with its intuitive setup and layout. It lets you select specific betting options with its organized table numbered 1-36, and a single zero.
Betting on French roulette is highly entertaining with its unique additional options like “Tiers du Cylindre” (Thirds of the Wheel) and “Voisins du Zéro” (Neighbors of Zero).
English roulette has a similar setup to French roulette, with its table setup featuring betting options numbered 1-36. However, it doesn’t have the additional betting options found on the French roulette.
Common Features
French roulette is quite similar to English roulette in terms of setup and basic rules. They both have a single zero on their table setups, which translates to a low house edge.
Like French roulette, English roulette has a table with 37 numbers, ranging from 0-36. The single zero pocket in both English roulette and french roulette makes the game more player-friendly, by giving you a fair edge against the house.
English and French roulette also feature a common playing setup. You get to place bets in the same way in both English and French roulette and their wheels spin similarly.
Physical Differences
English roulette uses a simple table layout with English terms, while french roulette has its betting options written in French with additional options like “Voisins du Zéro” (Neighbors of Zero).
French roulette features a simple color scheme, with muted tones for betting areas and a red and black color scheme. On the contrary, English roulette offers a more immersive color scheme with bold black and red sections for inside bets, and green betting areas.
Core Game Rules
English roulette and French roulette share many core rules, making it daunting to point out their differences. However, there are distinct rules that set the two apart.
English Roulette
English roulette offers a player-friendly experience with 37 options out of the 0-36 range, split evenly between red and black for 1-36, and a single green pocket for the zero.
English roulette features inside bets that you can place directly on specific numbers or small groups on the table. Standard roulette inside bets apply such as straight, split, and line.
French Roulette
French roulette uses the standard wheel layout with numbered pockets from 0-36, making up 37 options, similar to English roulette. This leaves a slight house edge.
French roulette also lets you make inside and outside bets. Inside bets lets you bet on specific numbers and small groups like split, corner, or straight. Outside bets lets you wager on broader categories like high/low, odd/even, or red/black.
Special Rules and Features
You might have noted that the fore rules make English and French roulette quite similar. It’s their specific rules that set English roulette apart from French roulette.
French Roulette Specific Rules
According to the French roulette, you don’t usually lose all bets completely when zeros appear. That leaves you with some outside bets including:
- High
- Low
- Odd
- Red
- Black
- Even
As such, you’re left to play with two rules, including enPrison rule and La Partage rule. The EnPrison rule means that you don’t lose your money the first time a zero appears, instead, the bet applies on the consecutive spin.
Otherwise, your bet wins or losses as it would normally do, but you completely lose your bet if zeros appear. La Partage rule implies that you lose half your bet once the ball rests on the zero pocket. Now, you can wager the remaining amount on the next wheel spin.
English Roulette Specific Rules
No-touch betting etiquette is one specific rule that sets English roulette apart from French roulette. Instead of placing your chips directly on the table, the dealer handles the placement of chips, so you only call out your bet.
As such, the game is more orderly and doesn’t have interference. No additional options are available on English roulette, so you completely lose your bets once the ball lands on zeros.
Cultural and Historical Context
English and French roulette have rich cultural and historical backgrounds in Europe. However, they acquired different characteristics based on distinct linguistics and gambling traditions.
French roulette traces its roots in the 18th century in French, when the game became a popular luxury and exclusivity among aristocratic circles. As such, French roulette embodies a rich French culture.
English roulette kicked off during the Victorian and industrial eras, whereby the UK gambling houses adopted the French roulette to cater to English-speaking players. As such, English roulette eliminated sophisticated French rules/terms to simplify gameplay.
Conclusion
Learning about the difference between English and French roulette is crucial to opting for the game that suits your preferences. Additional betting options in French roulette makes it more player-friendly than English roulette.
Nonetheless, the basic rules are quite similar between French and English roulette.