Roulette is perhaps the most famous gambling game that can be found in casinos. The rotation of the ball fascinates all participants in the game, who are looking forward to the result of the next throw. There are many cases where excitement made people lose entire fortunes, but almost no one succeeds in winning the long distance in this game. Although visual roulette seems very simple, not everyone knows its complete rules. It turns out that there are three main varieties of the game: French, European and American. What are the differences between them? And why is French roulette a game that is considered the most profitable for casino guests? Consider these features in detail.
General rules of the game
The basis of all varieties of the game is the process of rotating the ball on the roulette wheel and its falling onto one of the sectors of the rotating rotor. In total, there are either 37 or 38 (in the American version) sectors in roulette. 36 of them are numbered from 1 to 36. Also, each of the sectors is either black or red. Another sector is called “zero”. It has number 0 and is colored green. Finally, in the American version of roulette there is a “00” sector, which is also a “zero” sector.
The mutual arrangement of all sectors on the roulette, their color in red and black are strictly regulated, they remain unchanged in all casinos.
Next to the roulette is a playing field on which players can place their bets.
There are several types of bets: on a specific number, on 2 numbers, on red or black, etc. All possible bets are presented in the table:
Bid type | The number of sectors on roulette leading to a win | Profit in case of winning, on the size of the bet |
1 number | 1 | 3500% |
Couple | 2 | 1700% |
Troika | 3 | 1100% |
Angle or cross | 4 | 800% |
6 rooms | 6 | 500% |
Dozen | 12 | 200% |
Column | 12 | 200% |
Small (1-18) or large (19-36) | 18 | 100 % |
Odd or even | 18 | 100 % |
Red or black | 18 | 100 % |
At the same time, you can make several bets on different positions at the same time: say, on red and one of the columns. After the ball falls on one of the sectors, the dealer pays the winners prize money and takes the bets of the losers.
European version
This variety is the most common in the world. It does not differ in any special rules, except for the size of the table. It is wider and longer than in the American variety. Therefore, the croupier uses a special device to move the chips. The tables of European and French roulette are the same, although the text can be written in different languages.
American version
Here the croupier picks up bets with his hands, as the smaller size of the table allows him to do this. However, the main difference is the presence of two sectors of “zero”, in contrast to one in French roulette. As a result, the probability of winning players decreases, and casino income grows.
It is worth noting one myth that is around the game of roulette. Allegedly, if the ball falls on the “zero” sector, then the casino takes all bets for itself. This is not entirely true, because players have the opportunity to bet on any sectors, including green. In this case, the “zero” will bring profit to the player. But since the payments made by the casino are the same in both American, French and European roulette, and an increase in the number of sectors from 37 to 38 slightly reduces the likelihood of all possible outcomes, this casino game is really the most profitable.
French roulette
The rules here are broadly consistent with the European version. However, there is one caveat. There is a La Partage rule. According to him, if a player made a so-called bet with equal chances (red / black, odd / even or small / large), and the “zero” sector fell out, then, depending on the casino, the loser will be returned half of his bet or they will be allowed to leave the entire amount set in their place until the next round. In the latter case, upon winning, the bet will be returned to the player, but without a prize. The presence of such a rule makes French roulette the most sparing for the participants. So, if you have a desire to play roulette and the ability to choose its kind, opt for this version of the game.
Can I make money on roulette?
When you know how to play roulette, the question arises of which strategy is capable of making a profit here? Some casino patrons can spend hours talking about the so-called betting systems. Martingale, anti-martingale, Fibonacci system - these and many other strategies are used by gambling people in the hope that a clever sequence of bets will allow them to cheat the “wheel of luck” and make money.
But the conclusions of mathematicians are unequivocal - there can be no special system for determining bets that allows you to beat a casino over a long distance. So, if someone has an interest in earning money on gambling, you should pay attention to other games that belong to the class of intellectual (poker, preference), but it’s better not to remember about roulette. If you are not the owner of the casino, then you will not be able to earn income with its help.