Roulette is a simple game that has attracted many players over the years because the rules are so easy to pick up. Yet, once you delve deeper, you will find interesting rules such as en prison. When does this come into effect and what else do you need to know about it?
The basics
This rule is used on some versions of roulette. Typically, they will have the words French or European in their name, but you should still read the full game information to see if it is there or not.
Basically, it gives you another chance to win if the ball lands in the zero pocket. It only applies to even-money bets such as red/black, odd/even, or high/low. If you wager on one of those options and the ball ends up in zero, your stake is held in place with a marker on it to denote that it is “in prison.”
Win on the next spin and you get your full stake back. If your bet still doesn’t come up, the money is lost. Different things can happen when zero comes up for a second consecutive time, as not all casinos use the same rules for this situation.
What about la partage?
People sometimes get confused between the en prison and la partage rules, as they have a few things in common but also some important differences. La partage also applies to even-money bets on selected French or European roulette games where the ball ends up in the zero pocket.
However, in this case, you get half of your stake returned to you right away. Some casinos will offer one or other of these rules, but they haven’t traditionally been offered in American casinos.
Where to find it and is it worth it?
This rule isn’t as difficult to find as you might think. The huge increase in online roulette options in recent years means that we can now look through a large selection of casinos to find a variant of roulette that suits us. Each game will have an information button that lets you see the full set of rules.
American players will typically need to look for European or French versions of the game to take advantage of this useful rule. Not all of them have it, but if you enter a quality NJ online casino like Resorts then you will find many different versions of the game to choose from.
Is it worth spending a few minutes looking for a game that includes the en prison rule? If you are just playing for fun, then you might not think that this is worth the effort. However, serious players will realize that the way it lowers the house edge makes it an attractive type of game.
Of course, the rule only helps you if you place even-money bets. Therefore, it is ideal for someone who is following a strategy that requires placing their chips on these wagers. If you prefer different types of bet, it won’t affect you in any way.