What Are the Different Types of Roulette?

If you are someone that doesn’t know very much about gambling and casinos, then you probably think that there is only one type of Roulette, when in reality there are a few different types. Not every in-person or online casino offers each type, and most only offer one. 

Curious about the different types of roulette and how to play? Read on to learn more. 

What is American Roulette?

The American version of Roulette is probably the one you are most familiar with. This version of Roulette consists of a wheel with 38 slots. The goal of this game is to place a bet on the spot where the ball will land. 

The odds of the ball landing on a certain number are the same for all numbers. However, if you want to bet on a color all three colors do not have the same odds. The colors red and black will have the same odds since there are 18 numbers that are red and 18 that are black. On the other hand, there is only one color that is green and that is typically the number 0 and 00. 

In this type of Roulette, you will place a bet before the wheel is spun and will either lose or win based on the outcome of the wheel. You can continue to place bets even after the wheel is spun until the dealer says that no more bets are allowed. 

There are more complex betting strategies when playing American Roulette such as betting on what is called a “split” this means that you place a bet on two back to back numbers (24,25) this type of bet has 17 to 1 odds of winning. There are other betting strategies such as this one that you can learn more about in order to increase your odds of winning. 

It is important to remember that the outcome of previous spins has no effect on any future spins. Even if the ball has stopped on a red number for the last three times that doesn’t mean that there is an increased probability that it will land on black on the next spin. 

What is European Roulette?

European Roulette is similar to American Roulette however there are some small differences between the two. For starters, there are only 37 slots in European Roulette as opposed to the 38 that exist on American Roulette. If you are someone that understands how odds work, then you will instantly realize that your odds in European Roulette are better than in American Roulette. 

One distinct rule that exists in European Roulette is what they call “In Prison”. This rule states that if you placed a 1:1 bet, which means you placed a bet on either red or black or the ball landing on even or odd, and the ball lands on the green 0 you don’t lose your bet. 

Instead of losing your bet when the ball lands on 0, your bet stays the same for one more spin. This means that you can’t withdraw your bet, but at the very least you won’t lose the bet. In American Roulette, there is no such rule, so if you had placed the same bet and the ball landed on either 0 or 00 you would have lost your money. 

Other than that, there aren’t any other differences between European Roulette and American Roulette. Both of these versions of roulette are played the exact same way except for the difference in the “in prison” rule and the smaller number of slots in European Roulette. 

What is French Roulette?

French Roulette is still similar to the previous types of roulette but with a small twist. French Roulette and European Roulette both use the “In Prison” rule which means that if you place an even money bet and the ball lands on 0 you don’t lose the bet and instead it stays the same for the next spin. American Roulette doesn’t use this rule which means you would lose your money on an even money bet if the ball landed on 0 or 00. 

In addition, the French add a twist to their Roulette games by adding a rule which they call “Le Partage Rule”. This rule states that any losing even money bet is split in half between the player who placed the bet and the house. Although you might lose half of your bet at least you won’t lose all of it. Different casinos use different rules, so even if you are playing French Roulette it is good to check the house rules to make sure that they use this rule. 

Truthfully, other than that there aren’t any major differences with the other types of roulette. The only other difference you will find is that the names of the bets are in French. 

What Type of Roulette is Best?

Now that you know a little more about the different versions of roulette and their unique differences you might be wondering which one will be best to play. It really depends on what you like best. 

However, European and French Roulette have much better odds than American Roulette. American Roulette is the only one out of the three that has 38 slots instead of 37 and it is the only one that doesn’t have an “In Prison” or “Le Partage” rule to help players that place bets when the ball lands on 0. 

It is for this reason that European or French Roulette are better than American Roulette if your goal is to win money. Which one of the two you choose to play is entirely up to you since there aren’t any major differences between the two. 

Although the essence of Roulette will be the same regardless of which version you choose to play, there are some small differences between variations that can help you win more money or help you from losing more money. 

It can sometimes be hard to find casinos with the different types of roulette, so if you are looking for a place where you can play all three types of Roulette you should check out MintDice’s Saloon where you have your choice of playing Roulette, slots, and even video poker all with using Bitcoin!

This article was originally posted to MintDice's Casino Blog.