How to Use La Partage in French Roulette
La Partage is the single best rule for roulette players: when the ball lands on zero, you lose only half of an even-money bet instead of all of it. That nearly halves the house edge on those bets.
- Even-money edge: ~1.35%
- Applies on zero only
- French roulette rule
La Partage (French for 'the division') means that when zero lands, even-money bets - red/black, odd/even, high/low - lose only half the stake rather than the whole thing. On a single-zero wheel this cuts the house edge on those bets from 2.70% to about 1.35%, the lowest edge in standard roulette. It applies only to even-money bets and only when zero hits.
How La Partage works
You place an even-money bet. If the ball lands on zero, instead of losing everything, the dealer returns half your stake. You forfeit the other half. On all non-zero results the bet plays normally. Because the zero is the pocket that creates the edge on even-money bets, softening its impact roughly halves that edge.
A worked example
You bet $10 on red on a French La Partage table:
| Result | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Red | Win $10 (return $20) |
| Black | Lose $10 |
| Zero | Lose only $5 (half returned) |
That half-back on zero is the whole benefit, and over many spins it adds up to a meaningfully lower cost than European or American roulette.
La Partage vs En Prison
Some French tables use En Prison instead: on zero, your even-money bet is "imprisoned" for one more spin rather than half-returned. If it wins next spin you get the stake back; if not, you lose it. The long-run effect on the edge is similar to La Partage.
House edge comparison
| Variation | Even-money house edge |
|---|---|
| French (La Partage) | ~1.35% |
| European | 2.70% |
| American | 5.26% |
Confirm the difference for your stake in the odds calculator by selecting "French - La Partage".
Important limits
La Partage only applies to even-money bets, and only when zero lands - it does nothing for inside bets or dozens. It lowers the cost of playing; it does not make even-money roulette profitable, and the expected value remains negative.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A French roulette rule that returns half your even-money stake when the ball lands on zero, instead of losing the whole bet.
It cuts the even-money edge from 2.70% to about 1.35% on a single-zero wheel - the lowest edge in standard roulette.
No. It applies only to even-money bets - red/black, odd/even, high/low - and only when zero lands.
La Partage returns half the stake immediately on zero; En Prison holds the bet for one more spin. The long-run edge effect is similar.
No. It reduces the cost of even-money play but the expected value stays negative.