French Roulette Explained

French roulette uses the same single-zero wheel as European roulette but applies a different rule set. Two rules, La Partage and En Prison, change what happens to even-money bets when zero lands. A racetrack betting area allows players to place announced bets covering specific sections of the wheel. This page explains how all of those elements work, including the wheel structure, table layout, each rule in detail, the full payout schedule, and how French roulette compares to its European counterpart.

French roulette is available to play for free with no deposit or registration required. Free play is a practical way to observe how the racetrack works, watch La Partage resolve in real time, and get familiar with the announced bet positions before engaging with the game for real money. 

French roulette is a single-zero variant using the same 37-pocket wheel as European roulette: numbers 1 to 36 and one green zero. The wheel structure is identical. What sets French roulette apart is what happens when zero lands. Two rules, La Partage and En Prison, apply specifically to even-money bets in this situation. French roulette tables also include a racetrack area for placing announced bets, which cover pre-defined sections of the wheel.

These features are found in the rules, not in the wheel. That is an important distinction for understanding how French roulette relates to the other main variants.

French roulette sits within the Roulette Hub as one of the main single-zero variants. For a side-by-side overview of all variants, see roulette variants. Terminology used throughout this page is defined in the roulette glossary. 

The French roulette wheel has 37 pockets: numbers 1 to 36 (18 red, 18 black) and a single green zero (0). The number arrangement around the wheel is identical to European roulette, with high and low numbers alternating as closely as possible around the rim.

The racetrack mirrors this wheel layout. Each section of the racetrack corresponds to a physical zone of the wheel:

• Voisins du Zero covers the 17 numbers closest to zero on one side
• Tiers du Cylindre covers the 12 numbers on the opposite side
• Orphelins covers the 8 numbers in the remaining two arcs
• Jeu Zéro covers seven numbers from 12 to 15 on the wheel

For a visual comparison of wheel number sequences across variants, see roulette wheel layouts. 

How a round works

A round of French roulette follows the same sequence as European roulette: the betting window opens, bets are placed, the wheel spins, and the outcome is resolved. What differs is what happens when zero is the result.

For a full step-by-step breakdown of how a round works, see the how to play roulette guide.

The La Partage rule

La Partage applies only to even-money bets (Red/Black, Odd/Even, and High/Low) when zero is the result. When this happens, the stake is split: half is returned to the player, and the other half goes to the house. The bet is then complete.

La Partage is a structural rule of the game. It describes a mechanical outcome when zero lands on an even-money bet.

The En Prison rule

En Prison is an alternative rule to La Partage. A French roulette game uses one or the other, not both. Like La Partage, it applies only to even-money bets when zero lands.

Under En Prison, the even-money bet is held (imprisoned) rather than resolved. It remains on the table for the next spin. There are two possible outcomes from that second spin:

• Win: if the next result is a win for the held bet, the full original stake is returned. No profit is paid.
• Loss: if the next result does not win, the held stake is lost.

Both rules are defined in the roulette glossary under French roulette rule terms.

The main number grid on a French roulette table is structured the same way as European roulette: numbers 1 to 36 in a three-column, 12-row grid, with a single zero at the top. The outside betting zones are also equivalent.

The visible differences are the labelling and the racetrack: 

The racetrack sits either alongside or above the main table grid. It is an oval diagram of the wheel, with each section of the oval corresponding to a section of the physical wheel. Players place chips on the racetrack to indicate announced bets rather than positioning chips on individual numbers in the main grid.

For a full explanation of how the table layout functions, see the how to play roulette guide. For payout ratios on inside and outside bets, see roulette odds and payouts. 

Announced bets are pre-defined combinations of numbers that correspond to sections of the wheel. They are placed using the racetrack area. Each announced bet covers a specific arc of the wheel and requires a set number of chips, which are distributed across splits, corners, or straight-up bets to cover the relevant numbers. 

Announced bet payouts depend on how the chips within the bet are placed. A chip on a split pays 17:1; a chip on a straight-up pays 35:1. Because each announced bet uses a combination of bet types, the total payout varies by which specific numbers are hit. 

Standard bet payouts in French roulette are identical to European roulette. La Partage and En Prison apply only when zero lands on an even-money bet. All other bets resolve according to the standard payout table. 

La Partage changes the outcome for even-money bets when zero lands: instead of losing the full stake, half is returned. En Prison holds the stake for one more spin instead. These rules affect how zero-landing outcomes are resolved, not the payout ratios for any other results.

For a full breakdown of how the zero pocket affects payout ratios across all bet types, see roulette odds and payouts. 

French and European roulette share the same wheel. Their differences are entirely rule-based, applying to specific situations during play. 

The practical effect of La Partage or En Prison is limited to what happens when zero lands on Red/Black, Odd/Even, or High/Low bets. For all other bets and all other outcomes, the two games operate identically.

For a broader structural comparison including American roulette, see European vs American roulette. 

Answers to common questions about French roulette structure and rules. 

French roulette is a game of chance. La Partage and En Prison describe what happens to specific bets when zero is the result. They are mechanical rules that apply to a defined subset of bets in a defined situation. They do not change the randomness of wheel outcomes or the structure of any other bet type.

For further reading on game and session concepts, see the roulette strategy page. For the full range of available variants, see roulette variants.