French roulette is a single-zero game with the same wheel as European roulette, plus two player-friendly rules. La Partage returns half your even-money bet when the ball lands on zero, and En Prison locks it for another spin. Either rule cuts the house edge on red, black, odd, even, high and low to just 1.35%, the lowest in roulette.
French roulette is the best-value version of the game for even-money bettors. It runs on the same 37-pocket single-zero wheel as European roulette, so the odds start out identical, but two special rules soften the sting of the zero on even-money bets and halve the house edge to 1.35%. For Canadian players, and especially French-speaking ones who may see it labelled roulette francaise, it is well worth seeking out. This guide covers the rules, the bets and the maths, building on our complete guide to roulette.
- Same wheel, better rules. French roulette uses the single-zero European wheel plus La Partage or En Prison.
- 1.35% edge on even-money bets. That is half the European edge and the lowest in the whole game.
- The rules apply to even-money bets only. Every other bet keeps the standard 2.70% edge.
- French tables add called bets. Voisins du Zero, Tiers du Cylindre and Orphelins cover sections of the wheel.
What is French roulette?
French roulette is the original form of the game, played on a single-zero wheel of 37 pockets, the same wheel as European roulette. What sets it apart is a pair of rules that apply when the ball lands on zero: La Partage and En Prison. Both give even-money bettors a partial refund or a second chance, which lowers the long-run cost of those bets.
The layout also looks a little different. On a traditional French table the outside bets are labelled in French, so red is rouge, black is noir, even is pair and odd is impair, and the table often includes a racetrack diagram for the called bets. The maths underneath is identical to European roulette, so if you know one you know the other, with the French rules layered on top as a bonus for even-money play.
The La Partage rule explained
La Partage means “the divide” in French, and it does exactly that: when you place an even-money bet and the ball lands on zero, you lose only half your stake instead of all of it. The other half is returned to you immediately. This single rule cuts the house edge on red, black, odd, even, high and low from 2.70% down to 1.35%, because the zero, the source of the whole house edge, now costs you only half as much on those bets.
La Partage applies automatically wherever it is in force, with no decision required from you. It is the more common of the two French rules online, and whenever you see a game simply labelled French roulette, La Partage is almost always the rule in play. It only affects the even-money outside bets, so inside bets and other outside bets like columns and dozens keep the standard 2.70% edge. Because it rewards even-money play, it pairs naturally with the approaches in our guide to roulette strategy and betting systems.
The En Prison rule explained
En Prison means “in prison,” and it is a variant of La Partage that gives your bet a second chance rather than half your money back. When the ball lands on zero, your even-money bet is not lost. Instead the croupier marks it as imprisoned and it stays on the table for the next spin. If that next spin wins, you get your original stake back with no winnings; if it loses, the bet is gone.
The long-run effect is the same as La Partage: the house edge on even-money bets drops to 1.35%. The difference is in how it feels and how it plays out. La Partage settles instantly by halving your loss, while En Prison delays the outcome by one spin. En Prison is rarer online, and where both are offered the casino usually decides which applies. Rules for a second consecutive zero vary between casinos.
French roulette edge calculator
Enter an even-money stake and a number of spins to see how much less French roulette costs you over time compared with the European and American wheels. The saving comes entirely from the La Partage rule halving the edge on even-money bets.
French roulette called bets
French roulette is also known for its called bets, or announced bets, which cover whole sections of the wheel rather than areas of the table. They are placed using a racetrack diagram that mirrors the order of numbers on the wheel. Together, the three main called bets divide the entire wheel between them.
| Called bet | Meaning | Section covered | Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voisins du Zero | Neighbours of zero | The large arc around the zero | 17 |
| Tiers du Cylindre | Third of the wheel | The section opposite the zero | 12 |
| Orphelins | Orphans | The two small arcs left over | 8 |
| Jeu Zero | Zero game | A small group right around zero | 7 |
The Voisins du Zero, Tiers du Cylindre and Orphelins together cover all 37 numbers on the wheel, splitting it into three neighbouring zones. Jeu Zero is a smaller bet focused tightly on the numbers next to the zero and sits inside the Voisins section. These bets do not change the house edge, they are simply a faster way to cover a spread of numbers that sit together on the wheel.
French vs European vs American roulette
French roulette gives the lowest house edge of the three main variants, but only on even-money bets. On every other bet it matches European roulette, and it always beats American roulette, which has an extra zero and no player-friendly rules. The table below shows the even-money house edge, where the difference actually shows up.
| Variant | Wheel | Even-money house edge | Other bets |
|---|---|---|---|
| French (La Partage) | Single zero, 37 | 1.35% | 2.70% |
| European | Single zero, 37 | 2.70% | 2.70% |
| American | Double zero, 38 | 5.26% | 5.26% |
The lesson is straightforward: if your game is red, black, odd or even, French roulette is the clear choice, costing you half what European roulette does and a quarter of the American wheel. To see how those edges translate into real payouts across every bet, read our guide to roulette odds and payouts, and for how the wheel types compare in general, our complete roulette guide.
Playing French roulette in Canada
French roulette is easiest to find online, where it is usually offered in both RNG and live dealer formats. Look for tables labelled French roulette or roulette francaise, and check that La Partage is listed in the rules, since that is where the 1.35% edge comes from. For even-money players who put in a decent number of spins, choosing a French table over a standard European one is one of the simplest ways to lower your cost. Combine it with sound bankroll management to make a session last.
