French roulette call bets, chip by chip
Call bets, or announced bets, are the French contribution to how roulette is played rather than how it pays. Each one covers a section of the wheel, placed as a fixed pattern of chips on the layout, and each is called by name. Online, a tap on the racetrack places the whole pattern. Here is what each tap actually puts on the table.
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Voisins du Zéro, 9 chips
The 17 numbers around zero on the wheel: 22, 18, 29, 7, 28, 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15, 19, 4, 21, 2, 25.
Placement: 2 chips on the 0-2-3 street, 2 chips on the 25-26-28-29 corner, 1 chip each on the splits 4/7, 12/15, 18/21, 19/22, 32/35.
Returns on a hit: the street pays 11:1 on 2 chips, net +24 minus the other 7 chips = +15. The corner pays 8:1 on 2 chips, net +16 minus 7 = +9. A split pays 17:1 on 1 chip, net +17 minus 8 = +9. So a Voisins hit returns plus 9 or plus 15 on a 9-chip stake, and the bet wins on 17 of 37 spins.
Tiers du Cylindre, 6 chips
The 12 numbers opposite zero: 27, 13, 36, 11, 30, 8, 23, 10, 5, 24, 16, 33.
Placement: 1 chip on each of the splits 5/8, 10/11, 13/16, 23/24, 27/30, 33/36.
Returns on a hit: 17:1 on 1 chip, net +17 minus 5 = +12 on a 6-chip stake. Wins on 12 of 37 spins.
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Orphelins, 5 chips
The eight numbers left between the other two sections: 17, 34, 6 and 1, 20, 14, 31, 9.
Placement: 1 chip straight-up on 1, 1 chip each on the splits 6/9, 14/17, 17/20, 31/34. Number 17 is in two splits.
Returns: the straight-up pays 35:1, net +35 minus 4 = +31. A split pays 17:1, net +17 minus 4 = +13. If 17 comes in, both its splits pay: +34 minus 3 = +31. Wins on 8 of 37 spins.
Jeu Zéro, 4 chips
A smaller section around zero: 12, 35, 3, 26, 0, 32, 15.
Placement: 1 chip straight-up on 26, 1 chip each on the splits 0/3, 12/15, 32/35.
Returns: 26 pays 35:1, net +32; a split pays 17:1, net +14. Wins on 7 of 37 spins.
Neighbours, usually 5 chips
Any number plus the two either side of it on the wheel, each as a straight-up. Neighbours of 0 are 26, 3, 0, 32, 15. Neighbours of 17 are 25, 2, 17, 34, 6 by wheel order. One hit pays 35:1 on one chip, net +31 on a 5-chip stake. Wins on 5 of 37 spins.
All together
| Bet | Chips | Numbers | Wins | Net on a hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voisins du Zéro | 9 | 17 | 45.9% | +9 or +15 |
| Tiers du Cylindre | 6 | 12 | 32.4% | +12 |
| Orphelins | 5 | 8 | 21.6% | +13 or +31 |
| Jeu Zéro | 4 | 7 | 18.9% | +14 or +32 |
| Neighbours | 5 | 5 | 13.5% | +31 |
Every row is 2.70% to the house, because every chip is a standard inside bet. Voisins, Tiers and Orphelins together cover all 37 numbers with 20 chips, which is a slow way to lose 2.70% of 20 chips a spin. Played one at a time they are the traditional texture of a French table, and the smoother alternative to single numbers for anyone who likes betting the wheel.
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Quick answers
Do call bets have better odds?
No. They are combinations of standard inside bets and carry the same 2.70% house edge. What they offer is coverage of a physical section of the wheel in one placement.
Do I need a French table for call bets?
Not online. Most European tables with a racetrack offer them too. They originated on French tables and are still called by their French names everywhere.