Learning the European Roulette Rules

The game of roulette originated in Europe, so it comes as no surprise that European roulette is still the most popular version in casinos today. It offers players the lowest house edge of all of the major variants, as well. It is important for players to understand the European roulette rules before they start to play.

Unlike the American version of the game, European roulette provides players with only one zero pocket instead of two. This reduces the house edge slightly and gives players a better chance to win. There are also two free European roulette game rules that do not apply to American games. First, the La Portage rule states that the player gets back half of his or her wager when the ball lands on the zero pocket. It affects only the outside bets, but it does reduce the house edge to an admirable 1.35%. The En Prison rule is only offered in some casinos, but it states that if the ball lands on zero, the player can put his or her money 'En Prison' and spin again. If the player hits his or her number on this spin, his or her money will be returned with no gain.

Players who are unsure about which variation of roulette they should play will undoubtedly want to stick to European roulette. In American roulette, with the addition of the double zero pocket, there is an increased chance that the player will lose his or her money--and the La Portage as well as the En Prison rules simply do not exist.