European roulette stands out as the preferred choice for countless players worldwide, thanks to its popularity among both casual and seasoned gamblers. Despite its name, European roulette is enjoyed globally, and while it's more prevalent in Europe, you can occasionally encounter European roulette tables in select high-limit U.S. casinos.
This variation features a wheel with 37 pockets, one green and the others alternating between red and black, numbered from 1 to 36. The wheel typically sits at the center, flanked by two mirrored layouts, each operated by a separate dealer, accommodating more players simultaneously.
European roulette offers two main bet categories: inside and outside bets. Inside bets cover single numbers or groups on the layout, while outside bets focus on number properties like red, black, odd, even, low (1-18), or high (19-36). The presence of a single zero slightly tilts the odds, causing outside bets to lose when the ball lands in the green pocket, giving the house its edge.
Moreover, European roulette allows for "call" or "announced" bets, covering sections of the wheel with up to seventeen adjacent numbers. This table etiquette aims to expedite the game, whereas American roulette's differing wheel layout does not permit call bets. When playing online roulette, players have the flexibility to bypass such formalities. Opting for the European, single-zero roulette variants is advisable, as they offer a player-friendly 2.70% casino advantage, making European roulette the more favorable choice for long-term play.
American roulette is a widely played variation found in casinos across the United States and beyond, featured in many online casinos as well. It distinguishes itself from European roulette with the addition of a second green pocket, the double zero. This double zero, while not altering the core gameplay, significantly impacts players' odds of winning, leaning the advantage heavily in favor of the house with a 5.26% edge.
However, some land-based casinos offer a version of American roulette with the Surrender rule, similar to the La Partage rule in French roulette. Surrender returns half of the original wager to players when the ball lands in the 0 or 00 pocket during even-money bets. This rule reduces the house edge in American roulette to 2.63%, lower than the European variation. Additionally, American roulette introduces the Five-Number bet, covering 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3, which carries a substantial house edge of 7.89% and is generally not recommended for players. In contrast, the European counterpart features the more favorable Basket bet, covering only four numbers, 0, 1, 2, and 3, due to the absence of the double zero and offering a lower house advantage.
French roulette closely resembles European roulette in terms of rules and wheel design. The bet types are largely identical as well. Both versions utilize a single-zero wheel with 37 divisions, and the numbering sequence on the French wheel is the same as that in European roulette. However, differences become apparent in the layout of the French and European tables. While the main betting grid with individual numbers remains similar, the outside bets in French roulette are typically labeled in French. For example, bets on colors are usually denoted as Rouge/Noire, and red and black diamonds may sometimes indicate where to place chips for these wagers. Other outside bets like odd/even and high/low are labeled as Impair/Pair and Manque/Passe, respectively. Additionally, the boxes for Dozen bets on the French layout are smaller and marked as P12, M12, and D12, representing Premier, Moyenne, and Derniere Douzaine.
One significant distinction between French and European variations involves the chips used by players. In most roulette games, these chips are referred to as "checks" and do not have denominations. European tables typically feature eight sets of differently colored checks to avoid confusion in bets on the layout. The value of each check is determined by dividing the player's total buy-in by the number of checks received, and checks themselves hold no intrinsic value and cannot be exchanged for real money. In contrast, at many French roulette tables, players receive actual cash chips instead of colored checks.