European Roulette
Read any guide to Roulette and it is almost certain to recommend playing the 37-number European version of the game if it is available. That is because the American layout with its 38 numbers and double zero gives the house a significantly higher advantage—5.26% versus 2.70% on every spin.
Oddly enough, of the two versions, the American one more closely resembles the original game invented in France in the late 18th century. It was European Roulette that evolved in the mid-19th century, when two brothers, Francois and Louis Blanc, allegedly sold their souls to the devil in return for the secret to earning more money from the wheels in their German casino. The answer, it turned out, was to eliminate the double zero. Using a 37-number wheel reduced the house edge, which meant better odds for the players and more wagering as a result.
Playing with 37 Numbers
Today, the wheels and table layouts of Roulette games in Europe all feature 37 numbers, including just a single zero as the “bank slot.” The most common sequence of numbers on the face of the European Roulette wheel is 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.
However, there are a few casinos, notably those in Macau, which have adopted a different pattern, namely 0-27-10-25-29-12-8-19-31-18-6-21-33-16-4-23-35-14-2-28-9-26-30-11-7-20-32-17-5-
22-34-15-3-24-36-13-1.
Regardless of which wheel pattern is used, the odds, payouts, and types of wagers available are the same. The table layout tends to be standard, too, and no different from the American version, with red numbers weaving down the length of the field like a slalom course from 1 to 36. Black numbers dominate the middle column 8:4, red numbers command the third column 8:4, and the two colors are balanced in column one 6:6. The single zero sits atop all three columns.
For the outside betting areas, the standard European layout also looks like the American one. However, when it comes to French tables, significant differences can be seen, including the placement of the Noir (Black), Passe (19~36), and (Pair (Even) betting areas on one side of the numbered field and the Rouge (Red), Manque (1~18), and Impair (Odd) betting areas on the other. Also, bets on the dozens are made in special sections below the columns P12 for 1~12, M12 for 13~24, and D12 for 25~36.
More French Variations
French tables also offer “call bets,” where the player tells the croupier what sections of the wheel he/she wishes to wager on. An example of these is “quadrants,” where bets can be placed on which of four 9-number sections of the wheel the ball will come to rest in, with payouts of 3-to-1. Many casinos using the French table layout offer other sector bets, such as Voisins du Zero, or “friends of zero,” meaning all the numbers on the wheel between 22 and 25.
By and large, such sector wagering provides the player with no added advantage as long as the wheel is fair and the results are random. However, there are special rules sometimes used in European Roulette, and the French version in particular, that can actually cut the House edge considerably, and they apply to even-money bets.
In one case, the player betting on Red, Black, and other 1:1 outside areas will surrender just half of the wager if a zero comes up instead of losing it all. This cuts the house advantage to just 1.35% on such bets. In other casinos, the even-money bet will be “frozen” for another turn if a zero comes. In France, this is known as en prison. The wager will win or lose depending on the result of the next spin. In the rare case that a zero comes up again, a “double freeze” occurs, requiring two wins in a row to claim even money.