Roulette is one of the most popular games in the gambling industry. At first glance, many might think that there is only one version of the game. After all, there is a simple sort of gameplay that accompanies roulette. But, the truth of the matter is that there are quite a few different options. In this article, we are going to focus on the three most popular categories to sort roulette by.
European Roulette
European roulette is most likely the original version of the game. It involves a red and black wheel being spun by a croupier, while the audience members try to guess where the ball will land, and wager on it. Anyone who has played online roulette at Christchurch Casino is familiar with the concept. The European roulette wheel is comprised of 37 pockets in total. Of those, 18 are red, 18 are black, and one is green. The green pocket is marked by number 0.
European roulette is quite popular. However, it is not the most popular version of the game. With a house edge of 2.6%, it has relatively favorable odds, as far as gambling games are concerned. However, there is a variant on European roulette, with even better odds. And that is what we are going to be tackling next.
French Roulette
Named for its country of origin, French roulette is a modified version of the classic European option. At first glance, the game is no different from its European counterpart. However, there is one major difference. In French roulette, there is an additional rule, which will either manifest as the “en prison” rule or the “la partage” rule.
- La Partage: La Partage is a rule that greatly enhances player odds, allowing them to earn back half of their wager on an even-odds bet that does not payout.
- En Prison: En Prison is a modified version of the La Partage rule that returns all of the investment on an even-odds bet that does not payout. Because of the addition of these two rules, French Roulette has odds of 1.7%
American Roulette
Finally, we must discuss American roulette. It is the most popular iteration of the game today, especially at online casinos. In terms of gameplay, American roulette is no different from the European version. It does not feature extra rules like the French one, but what it does have is one extra pocket. Instead of the usual 37 pockets, American roulette has 38. The addition of the 00 pocket greatly influences the game.
Some may not be convinced that a single pocket can alter a game so greatly. But, the truth is that the house edge of American roulette is double that of European, at 5.2%. Yet, despite that, it remains the most popular iteration of the game. Whether that is because gamblers are naturally prone to taking risks, or because some people simply like a challenge, we can’t say. It likely has to do with the fact that the American version of the game caught on due to the US’ cultural influence on the world.
