It’s All About the Zeroes
This is often a very common question. What distinguishes the American roulete wheel from the European roulete wheel, and do these differences really matter? Simply put, the primary difference between the two wheels lies within the use of the zero slots. The American wheel has an additional 00 slot that the European wheel does not have. Instead, the European wheel has only one 0 slot which actually heightens your chance of winning in comparison to the American wheel with its additional 00 slot. Although this difference is minor, its slight variation has the ability to adjust the house edge. For example, the house edge for the American version of the game is 5.26% due to the additional 00.
Tiny Technicalities
Other trivial differences that you may notice between the American and European roulete games include chips that vary in color versus uniformed colored chips, and the European use of the “En Prison” rule, which is similar to the “Surrender” rule. En Prison is a type of strategy that allows the gambler to give up half of their outside wagers or keep them for the following game if the ball lands on 0. In American roulete, different colored stacks of chips are assigned to each player to help distinguish whose are whose. Traditional European roulete instead gives players the same colored chips, leaving you to fend for yourself and keep an eye on your own chips.
No Need to Travel
Many people wonder if they need to hop on a boat or airplane and make their way overseas in order to experience each kind of roulete. Fortunately, that is not the case. Regardless of which type you would like to play, it is important to note that many European wheels are used right here in the United States, therefore the European roulete style is honored throughout the country. You can find both American and European (also known as French) roulete versions at various casinos so you may try out each version and see which you prefer.
