European Roulette

Roulette is a staple game offered at every virtual and land-based casino. The game has been around for over two centuries and France is believed to be the country it originated from. The popularity of the game spread like a wildfire as roulette features straightforward rules and a ton of excitement. Over the years, different roulette variations were created to please the needs of all kinds of players.

Nowadays, you will come across dozens of roulette titles but three are the major roulette variations – European, French, and American. European Roulette is the most sought-after variant of the game and we will discuss it in detail in this article.

European vs American Roulette

Odds, Probability, and House Edge

Once you test your luck on several different roulette variations, you will notice that all of them follow the same basic ruleset. However, there is a major difference between European and American Roulette which all fans of the game should be aware of as it affects the size of the house advantage.

The game begins when the croupier spins the wheel in one direction and tosses a small ball in the opposite direction. Roulette wheels contain numbered pockets but the total number of pockets on the European and the American roulette wheel is different.

The European roulette wheel features 37 pockets (1 to 36 and a single zero pocket), while the American variation of the game is played on a wheel with 38 divisions (1 to 36, a single zero, and a double zero pocket). The numbers on the American and European wheels are alternately colored in red and black, while the zero pockets are marked in green.

Next to the extra zero pocket, another apparent difference between European and American Roulette is the sequence of the numbers on the wheel. For the most curious of our readers, the arrangement of the numbers on the European roulette wheel is not random. Considering the zero pocket, the left side of the wheel features low black and high red numbers, while the right side of the wheel contains high black and low red numbers.

Sequence of the numbers on the European roulette wheel: 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25, 17, 34, 6, 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33, 1, 20, 14, 31, 9, 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26.

Sequence of the numbers on the American roulette wheel: 0, 28, 9, 26, 30, 11, 7, 20, 32, 17, 5, 22, 34, 15, 3, 24, 36, 13, 1, 00, 27, 10, 25, 29, 12, 8, 19, 31, 18, 6, 21, 33, 16, 4, 23, 35, 14, 2.

At first glance, the presence of an extra zero pocket on the American roulette wheel makes no huge difference. But if you are trying to decide which roulette variation is the most profitable, stick with us and look at the maths behind the two variations of the game.

1Choose a Roulette Variation

Most online casinos offer a plethora of roulette variations. Nowadays, you can play RNG (random number generator) and live dealer roulette games in the comfort of your own home. As we already hinted above, regardless of the roulette variation you decide to play, the objective of the game remains the same – players have to accurately predict in which numbered pocket the ball will come to rest.

2Your First Bet

To play European Roulette online and have fun, you have to first select a reputable and licensed casino. Once you join a roulette table, you will have to determine the size of your bet and place your chips on the layout. Then, you have to click the “Spin” button. Provided that you play live dealer roulette, you have to place your bet within a designated time frame. Do not forget to pay attention to the minimum and maximum bet limits a given roulette table features before joining the betting action.

3Win or Lose

Between one and seven people can join a given roulette table in a land-based casino. However, if you decide to play RNG roulette at a web-based casino, then there is no restriction regarding the number of people who can play at the same time. Once the dealer tosses the ball, you can place bets until you hear the announcement “No more bets”.

When the winning number is determined, the dealer will mark it on the table layout, sweep away all losing bets, and pay out winning wagers. It is important to mention that players should observe the roulette etiquette that forbids them to touch the marker or the chips on the table.

As their names suggest, the “En Prison” and “La Partage” rules are inherent to French Roulette. However, many European roulette variations also feature these special rules that slash the house edge to a whopping 1.35%. These rules come into play only when you have placed an even-money bet and the result of the spin is zero.

La Partage

En Prison

La Partage

The “La Partage” rule allows roulette fans to keep 50% of their even-money bets if the ball comes to rest in the zero-numbered pocket. The other 50% of the bets go to the house and the game continues as usual.

En Prison

The “En Prison” rule provides players with the opportunity to rescue their stakes instead of recovering only half of them. In a nutshell, if you make an even-money bet and the result of the spin is zero, then your bet will be “imprisoned” for the next spin. If the bet wins, you will recover your wager. But if it loses, the casino will forfeit it.

As we already hinted above, roulette has easy-to-grasp rules. What may confuse novice players is the various types of bets it offers. Generally speaking, we can outline two main categories of roulette bets – inside and outside. Inside bets are placed on the inner section of the betting area. These offer a higher payout but a lower chance of winning.

Outside bets are placed on a broader category of numbers. Hence, you have a better chance of winning but the payout is lower. In the lines below we will discuss the different types of inside and outside bets and their payouts.

Outside Bets

Inside Bets

Outside Bets

Column Bet – this kind of bet covers 12 numbers, which is almost ⅓ of the wheel. The probability of success is 12/37 = 0.3243 x 100 = 32.43% and the payout is 2:1.
Dozen Bet – the betting layout is divided into three boxes each consisting of 12 numbers. The first box includes the numbers from 1 to 12, the second box covers the numbers from 13 to 24, and the third box includes the numbers from 25 to 36. The probability of success is again 32.43% and the payout is 2:1.
Red/Black Bet – players can bet on all red or black numbers. The European roulette wheel has 18 red and 18 black numbers, meaning that the probability of success is 18/37 = 0.4864 x 100 = 48.64%. The payout is 1:1.
Odd/Even Bet – roulette fans can place bets on all odd or even numbers. The European roulette wheel features 18 odd and 18 even numbers. Therefore, the probability of winning is 48.64% and the payout is 1:1.
Low/High Bet – this bet covers 18 numbers. The low numbers are from 1 to 18, while the high numbers are from 19 to 36. The probability of success is 48.64% and the payout is 1:1.

Inside Bets

Straight-Up Bet – this is the riskiest roulette bet as it is placed on a single number. Hence, the probability of winning is 1/37 = 0.0270 x 100 = 2.70%. The payout is 35:1.
Split Bet – it is placed on two adjacent numbers. The probability of success is 2/37 = 0.0540 x 100 = 5.41% and the payout is 17:1.
Street Bet – this kind of bet is placed on three numbers appearing in a row. If you place a street bet, the probability of winning is 3/37 = 0.081 x 100 = 8.1%. Winning street bets are paid out 11:1.
Corner Bet – it covers four numbers in a row (for example 5, 6, 8, and 9). To make a corner bet, you have to place the chips on the corner where the four numbers touch each other. The probability of winning is 4/37 = 0.1081 x 100 = 10.81%. The payout for winning this bet is 8:1.
Line Bet – roulette fans have the opportunity to place bets on two rows of three numbers. To do so, players have to place chips at the end of the selected two rows. The probability of winning this bet is 6/37 = 0.1622 x 100 = 16.22% and the payout is 5:1.

1Software Providers

Nowadays, there are hundreds of licensed web-based casinos where you can play different roulette variations. Established software companies provide casino operators with various versions of the game. Thanks to the advent of technologies, players can enjoy crisp graphics and immersive gambling experience. Some of the biggest software providers that create top-shelf European Roulette titles include Microgaming, NetEnt, Play’n GO, and others.

2User-Friendly Interface

Novice players are often advised to first play roulette at an online casino as it is easier. Most software-based roulette variations have a user-friendly interface and additional features such as statistics, history, a help button, and others. When playing RNG roulette at a virtual casino, you can determine the game pace according to your preferences. Furthermore, many online casinos throw in attractive bonuses to fans of table games.

3Live Dealer Roulette

Most gambling sites also offer live dealer roulette variations that take place in real time. Playing live dealer roulette is very similar to playing in a land-based casino. The main difference is that you can join a live roulette table anytime you wish to when playing at an online casino, while land-based gambling venues usually have working time. Some of the software providers specialized in developing live dealer games are Evolution Gaming, Playtech, Pragmatic Play, and NetEnt.