
European vs American Roulette
“What is the difference between European vs American Roulette?” - this is one of the most asked questions coming from players discovering the various types…
Considered to be around ever since the 18th century, roulette is one of the most longevous and popular casino games. Many historians consider Blaise Pascal as the father of the roulette mechanism, while the casino games itself appeared by mixing the wheel with the Italian game of Biribi. Even though it’s around for over 200 years, the question of “How to play roulette?” will always pop-up since new players want to learn the rules and enjoy the thrills offered by this casino game. Therefore, we invite you to explore a thorough guide to roulette covering the bets available, game mechanics, roulette types, and answers to the most frequent questions.
Before jumping into types of bets, differences between various roulette versions, and more intricate matters, let’s start with the basics of how to play roulette at the casino. The action to start a roulette game is quite simple. You have to place chips on various numbers or bet types before the dealer starts to spin the ball on the roulette table.
The outside bets are the simplest types of wagers a player can use in a roulette game. That’s what makes them ideal for beginners and we’re starting this casino roulette guide with them.
We’ve seen how you can place bets on larger groups of numbers on the roulette wheel through outside bets. On the other hand, inside bets offer a closer look at how to play roulette numbers in smaller clusters and even single-number bets.
No guide on how to play roulette for beginners is complete without exploring the various types of roulette tables as well. So, let’s start with European Roulette’s particularities and how it compares to the American one.
The main difference between European and American roulette comes from the absence of the “00” pocket on the wheel, present in the latter. While playing with a total of 37 numbers instead of 38 may not seem like such a big deal, if you go into details, this difference is quite an important one. First of all, the extra “00” pocket means the odds for each type of bet are lower. However, the most important aspect is the difference in vig for the two roulette types. While for the European Roulette the vig (or house edge) is 2.7%, the extra pocket on American Roulette takes the edge to 5.26%.
Very similar to European Roulette, the French version of the game can seem identical to the untrained eye. The pockets are identical and, apart from the different language on the table layout, things don’t seem to be one bit different. However, the “En Prison” and “La Partage” rules of French Roulette make it a very advantageous version for players. With “En Prison”, if you placed an “Even” bet and the ball stops on 0, you have the chance to get half of your stake back. There’s also the option of leaving your stake untouched for the following round. However, if it hits 0 again, the “Even” wager is lost. The “La Partage” rule doesn’t give players the option to withdraw half their wager if the ball lands on 0, 50% of the stake is automatically returned to them in this situation.
These two extra rules of French Roulette makes it the best type out there. However, the downside is that you’ll rarely find it at online casinos. Even so, it’s good practice to go through these online roulette tips for beginners and be prepared in case you do find such an opportunity.
With the extra 00 pocket, the American roulette should usually be avoided when playing online. Sure, you have one extra number that can give you a 35:1 payout. However, because of that extra pocket, the odds of that happening are lower, and the house edge is higher compared to European Roulette.
It all depends on the type of roulette table you join. The minimum bet on a standard roulette game is usually €0.20 or the equivalent in other currencies. However, VIP or high-stakes tables can start with a €5 minimum.
Once more, it’s all about the type of table you join. While regular roulette tables cap maximum bets at €500 or €700, high roller games can accept wagers as high as €75,000.
The European and French Roulette wheels have 37 numbers – from 1 to 36 plus 0 – while American also features the 00 pockets taking the total to 38.
Betting on 0 or 00 at a roulette table generates the same payout as any other straight bet – 35:1. So, while the 0 and 00 pockets have a special feel to them, the payout is identical.
There’s no statistic or pattern out there supporting the idea that the ball lands more frequently on certain numbers. However, some dealers tend to send the ball on specific number tiers.
There’s no reason for casinos to cheat players in roulette. The law of large numbers, together with the house edge, guarantees a profit for the dealer. However, illegal casinos may resort to cheating as well, to boost that profit.