French Roulette Cheat Sheet
French roulette is built on the same physical wheel as European roulette - 37 pockets, single zero, identical sequence - but the table layout is in French and the rule set is usually friendlier on even-money bets.
- 37 pockets, single zero
- French bet names instead of English
- La Partage and / or En Prison on even-money bets (where offered)
- Call bets like Voisins du Zero, Tiers du Cylindre, Orphelins and Jeu Zero
When La Partage or En Prison is active, the effective house edge on red/black, odd/even and high/low drops to about 1.35%, the lowest commonly available roulette edge.
How to Play French Roulette
French roulette plays exactly like European roulette but with French terminology and a racetrack panel for call bets. A single round goes:
- Buy chips from the croupier. The dealer is called a "croupier" at a French table. Each player gets a unique color.
- Place table bets. Standard bets sit on the main grid (Rouge, Noir, Pair, Impair, Manque, Passe, Douzaines, Colonnes, Plein, Cheval, Carré, Sixain, Transversale Pleine).
- Call bets via the racetrack. Voisins du Zero, Tiers du Cylindre, Orphelins or Jeu Zero can be placed by selecting the corresponding section on the racetrack panel or calling it aloud.
- "Rien ne va plus". The croupier calls this when betting closes - literally "nothing goes any more".
- Spin and result. Wheel and ball spin in opposite directions. The croupier announces the winning number, its color, even/odd, and high/low.
- La Partage or En Prison (if offered). When the ball lands on 0, even-money bets may return half the stake or be held for the next spin, depending on the table sign.
French Roulette Rules
The French table follows the same fundamental rules as European roulette, with two important additions: French-language bet names and the optional La Partage / En Prison rules.
- Wheel: identical single-zero wheel as European roulette (37 pockets, one green 0).
- Layout: table labels are in French and a racetrack panel is included for call bets.
- Call bets: Voisins du Zero (17 numbers, 9 chips), Tiers du Cylindre (12 numbers, 6 chips), Orphelins (8 numbers, 5 chips), Jeu Zero (7 numbers, 4 chips).
- La Partage: when 0 lands, all even-money bets immediately lose only half the stake. Reduces the effective even-money edge to about 1.35%.
- En Prison: alternative to La Partage. When 0 lands, the even-money bet is held for one more spin. If it wins next spin, the stake is returned. Less common than La Partage.
- Croupier's announcement: the winning number is always called out with its color, parity and high/low (for example, "vingt-trois, noir, impair, passe").
- Bet timing: bets close on "rien ne va plus". Late bets are voided.
- Rule sign: always check whether La Partage, En Prison or both are in effect before betting on even-money sections.
French Roulette Terms
| French Term | English Equivalent | Numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Plein | Straight up | 1 |
| Cheval | Split | 2 |
| Transversale Pleine | Street | 3 |
| Carré | Corner | 4 |
| Sixain | Six line | 6 |
| Douzaine | Dozen | 12 |
| Colonne | Column | 12 |
| Manque | Low (1-18) | 18 |
| Passe | High (19-36) | 18 |
| Pair | Even | 18 |
| Impair | Odd | 18 |
| Rouge | Red | 18 |
| Noir | Black | 18 |
La Partage and En Prison
La Partage (literally, "the sharing"): when the ball lands on zero, all even-money bets immediately lose half the stake and the player keeps the other half. The bet does not continue to the next spin.
En Prison: when the ball lands on zero, the even-money bet is "imprisoned" on the layout. The next spin decides it - if the original side wins, the player gets the stake back (with no winnings); if the other side wins, the stake is lost.
Both rules apply only to even-money bets (red/black, odd/even, high/low). They do not affect inside bets, dozens or columns.
Not every French table offers both rules. La Partage is more common. Always check the table sign before betting.
French Roulette Payout Table
| Bet (French) | Numbers | Payout | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plein (Straight) | 1 | 35:1 | 1/37 |
| Cheval (Split) | 2 | 17:1 | 2/37 |
| Transversale Pleine (Street) | 3 | 11:1 | 3/37 |
| Carré (Corner) | 4 | 8:1 | 4/37 |
| Sixain (Six line) | 6 | 5:1 | 6/37 |
| Douzaine / Colonne | 12 | 2:1 | 12/37 |
| Rouge / Noir / Pair / Impair / Passe / Manque | 18 | 1:1 | 18/37 |
With La Partage or En Prison active, the effective long-term cost of even-money bets is roughly halved.
French Call Bets and Wheel Sectors
The call bets cover specific groups of numbers that sit next to each other on the wheel, not on the table:
- Voisins du Zero - 17 numbers around zero. Cheat sheet
- Tiers du Cylindre - 12 numbers on the opposite side of the wheel from zero
- Orphelins - 8 numbers split across two short arcs not covered by Voisins or Tiers
- Jeu Zero - a smaller 7-number sector tight around zero. Cheat sheet
Call bets do not change the underlying odds. Each individual pocket still pays 35:1. The point is that the bet is described by its wheel position, not by a column or row on the table.
Practical Strategy Notes
"How to win at French roulette" really means: pick the most favourable rules you can find, understand the bets you are using, and control your bankroll.
- Choose even-money bets when La Partage or En Prison is active.
- Treat inside bets as variance plays, not as a path to profit.
- Use sector bets if you enjoy the wheel-based logic, not because they "predict" anything.
Responsible gambling note: Roulette is a negative expectation game. Cheat sheets and strategy guides help you understand bets, payouts and risk, but no system removes the house edge. Only play with money you can afford to lose, and stop when play stops feeling controlled.
Related Guides
For odds, payouts, wheel layouts and betting systems across every variant, return to the central roulette odds and payouts reference.