European Roulette
You would think European Roulette, also known as French Roulette, would
be the older and more traditional form of the game, since Roulette was
invented in France. The longer history of the game has allowed roulette
played by Europeans to undergo more changes and evolutions, so the version
of everyone's favorite casino wheel game played by Europeans is actually the
younger, more refined, better game to play (for the gambler).
European Roulette versus American Roulette
There is one major, defining difference between European roulette and the American version: the inclusion of one less "00" bank or slot on the wheel. In American Roulette, you have the numbers 1 through 36 with a 0 and a 00 slots on the wheel--38 banks in all for the ball to land. In the French version of the game, played just about everywhere but in the United States, there are the numbers 1 through 36 and only the additional 0-bank, for a total of 37 banks on the roulette wheel.
For
that reason, European roulette is an inherently better wager from the
perspective of the gambler. Imagine you are placing a bet on one number--say
the lucky number "13". When you place your bet on the 13, in the American
version of the game, there are 37 numbers the ball could land on, so that 1
out of every 38 spins (on average), you're going to win. In the European
version, when you place your chips on "13", that ball is going to land on
the 13 one out of every 37 times--simply better odds.
European Roulette Payouts
Of course, that equation can change if you get better payouts in an American roulette game. For instance, if in an American roulette game, you get 35-to-1 odds, but in a European game, you only get 34-to-1 odds, you may have to rethink your game-playing decisions. But every thing being equal, always choose European Roulette.
Online European Roulette
That's a good thing, because most online casinos these days offer European roulette and American roulette side-by-side. American players demand the option to play either, while international players are naturally going to play the European game they grew up enjoying. Once an Internet gambling website buys the gaming software to power and support both games, it's really little extra cost to them to offer both versions, so you have the option to play either. Again, if both games offer the same payback structures for the same bets, choose European or single-zero Roulette.
Monte Carlo Roulette
While single-zero roulette wheels existed as early as 1843, it was not until 1862 that single-zero roulette began its ascent to world roulette dominance. The House of Grimaldi, which had ruled the tiny principality of Monaco since 1297, was virtually bankrupt, after they had lost their two keys towns, Roquebrune and Menton. The revenues from these towns' olive, lemon, and orange crops had been the traditional source of income for Monaco, so the Monegasque ruler, Charles III, came up with a new plan.
German spa towns like Homburg and Baden-Baden had developed thriving casinos, due to the influx of tourists. Prince Charles granted a concession to Albert Aubert and Napoleon Langlois in 1856 to build a spa facility (for treating certain diseases via sea-bathing) and a casino in Monte Carlo. The first casino opened in 1862, while a railway brought waves of tourists starting in 1868. With the unification of Germany by Prussia in two phases (1866 and 1871 wars), Germany began to tighten restrictions on gambling, and suddenly Monte Carlo became Europe's capital for gambling. In this new city, single-zero roulette became the preferred method of wheel gaming.
En Prison and La Partage Rules
The "en prison" and "la partage" rules are another advantage of playing European Roulette. When "en prison" rules are in place, if a player makes an even-money bet, such as red/black or even/odd, and the numbers comes up "0", they either lose only half their initial bet, or they can imprison their bet and let it ride on the next spin. In this case, if the spin wins for them, they take back their chips, but do not win any chips in addition. If they lose, all the chips are lost.
When la partage rules are in effect, you have no choice in the matter, but you still only lose half of your wager when a "0" comes up on an even-money bet.
You'll also find variations of the imprisoned bet played in France where the chips remain en prison until the ball lands on a non-zero. This is not everywhere, though.
Roulette - The Devil's Game
In one statistical oddity, if you add up all the numbers on a roulette wheel, the sum of those numbers add up to 666. With the red and black color scheme, one might think roulette is a sinister game. If you believe in such things, though, American roulette is more sinister.
