The Pros and Cons of the Surrender Rule in Roulette - The Sports Geek
Have you ever heard of the surrender rule in roulette? Even seasoned roulette players may not know about this obscure rule, as tables that feature the surrender rule can be tough to find these days.
In this article, we are going to tell you all about the surrender rule in roulette by first telling you what it is, and then discussing the pros and cons of the surrender rule. Let's get started by answering the question, what is the surrender rule in roulette?
What is the Surrender Rule in Roulette?
The surrender rule in roulette is a rule that dictates a potential return of funds from a losing bet, as long as the loss stems from the zero or double zero slots coming up. There are a couple of different versions of the surrender rule, and we will get into those in more detail here in a minute, but all forms of the surrender rule surround being able to get a refund, or partial refund, if your bet loses because the wheel landed on a dreaded green slot.
Now, there are certainly some catches when it comes to the surrender rule. The most notable being that the surrender rule only comes into play when you are making what are known in the gaming industry as outside bets.
Outside bets are bets on large groups of numbers that pay out much lower odds than inside bets, which tend to be bets on single numbers or small groups of numbers. Let's take a look at the outside bets in roulette below.
Outside Bets In Roulette
- Odd/Even – An odd/even bet is a bet on whether the number that comes up is odd or even and pays out even money odds at 1-1. If a zero or double zero slot comes out, all bets on odd/even lose.
- High/Low – A high/low bet is a bet on whether the number that comes up is high (19-36) or low (1-18) and pays out even money odds at 1-1. If a zero or double zero slot comes out, all bets on high/low lose.
- Red/Black – A red/black bet is a bet on whether the color that comes up is red or black and pays out even money odds at 1-1. If a zero or double zero slot comes out, all bets on red/black lose.
- Dozens – The dozens bet is a bet on 12 numbers at once. There are 3 dozens bets on the layout with the ability to bet on the 1st dozen (1-12), the 2nd dozen (13-24), and the 3rd dozen (25-36), and it pays out 2-1 odds. If a zero or double zero slot comes out, all bets on the dozens lose.
- Columns – The columns bet is a bet on 12 numbers at once. There are 3 columns bets on the layout with the ability to bet on the 1st column, the 2nd column, and the 3rd column, and it pays out 2-1 odds. If a zero or double zero slot comes out, all bets on the columns lose.
Now that you know which bets qualify for the surrender rule, we will go into detail on each of the various surrender rules available. Each of the below bets are only paid out when you are betting on an outside bet, and the number lands on the zero or double zero slot. If you are playing an inside bet, or you lose your outside bet, but a zero or double zero doesn't come out, the surrender rule does not take effect.
Not All Surrender Rules are the Same
There are 3 main types of surrender rules in roulette. The differences between these rules are mostly centered around the different types of roulette wheels. Not all surrender rules are the same, and that is because not all roulette wheels are the same.
There are 3 different roulette wheels that are in play today. You have European roulette, with just a single zero slot. You have American roulette that has a zero and a double zero slot. And you have what can only be referred to as a carnival version of American roulette that has a zero, double zero, and triple zero slot.
As the surrender rule is basically never found on the carnival version of American roulette with the triple zero slot, we won't really focus on it here. Instead, we will look at the 3 different types of surrender rules, 2 of which are found on European roulette wheels and the last of which is found while playing on an American roulette wheel.
En Prison
The En Prison rule is a rule that is quite popular in France and is played exclusively on European roulette wheels. The way the En Prison bet works is that if you make your bet on an outside bet and the zero slot comes up, you don't lose your bet.
Instead, your bet stays out on the layout, and you must let it ride for an additional spin. En Prison translates to in prison in French, because your bet is essentially locked down, as you can't pull it down after a zero spin. Your bet stays in prison until it lands on any other slot besides the zero slot, where it then either wins or loses following the standard gameplay rules.
European roulette wheels with a single zero slot are already much better games to play than the American counterparts, as the house advantage is a very player friendly 2.7%. If you find a European roulette wheel that also uses the surrender rule, the casino's house advantage drops all of the way down to just 1.35%, making it one of the best bets that can be made anywhere on the casino floor.
Le Partage
Le Partage is another version of the surrender rule that can be found only on European roulette wheels. The Le Partage rule is wildly popular in the UK, as most all roulette games being played there feature the Le Partage surrender rule.
Instead of a spin that lands on zero putting your bet in prison, when you are playing a game that follows the Le Partage rule, you get a 50% refund. That means that if you bet $100 on black, and it lands on zero, the casino will refund you $50 of your losing bet, taking the other $50 for the house.
This might feel like a worse deal than an En Prison bet, as you are losing money and not getting a full refund, but with how the math works out, they are actually identical when it comes to the casino's house advantage, with both bets coming in at just 1.3%.
Surrender
The final surrender rule that we are going to talk about today is the surrender rule that is found only on American roulette wheels. Remember, an American roulette wheel is one that has both a zero and a double zero slot. With that additional double zero slot, it jacks the casino's house advantage up to just under 5.3%, making it a better bet for the casino, not the players, than a European wheel.
That means that if you are playing an outside bet on an American roulette wheel, and the ball lands on either the zero or the double zero slot, you get a partial refund (50% of your bet), similar to the Le Partage bet on a European roulette game.
While the surrender rule doesn't lower the house edge down to 1.3% like the En Prison and Le Partage rules do, it does cut the casino's house advantage in half, getting the game down to just 2.7%, at least for the outside bets. Adding the surrender rule to an American roulette wheel turns it from a game you want to stay away from, into a game well worth playing.
Surrender Rule Roulette: Pros and Cons
Now that you know all about the different types of surrender rules, let's take a look at the pros and cons of the surrender rule in roulette.
Surrender Rule Roulette: Pros
The pros to the surrender rule are clear, as it significantly decreases the house advantage of the roulette wheel overall. There are very few bets that you can make in a casino that have a house edge as low as 1.3%, and if you ever find a roulette game that has the surrender rule, you should absolutely give the game a try.
And on top of making the game much more player friendly, the surrender rule also makes the game more fun too.
If you are a player that likes to bet on the outside while playing roulette, as I do, it can sometimes get a little bit boring, as you are only getting paid out even money odds, or 2-1 odds at the most. But when you are playing with the surrender rule, it adds another level of excitement to the game, particularly when you are playing at a table with the En Prison rule, as it can be a lot of fun letting your bets ride from spin to spin.
Surrender Rule Roulette: Cons
There really aren't any big cons to playing roulette with the surrender rule. It is a rule that is aimed at making the game better for the players, and it absolutely does just that. The only real con that I can think of would be the fact that the game can be increasingly hard to find in some markets.
The surrender rule enjoys widespread use in Europe, but is almost non-existent in the US and Asia, outside of the high limit pit. That's not to say that you can't find it anywhere, but you will likely have to shop around quite a bit to find a game.
Are You Ready To Play?
Have I convinced you to give the surrender rule in roulette a try? I thought so! Now the next step is to find a roulette wheel that actually uses the surrender rule. If you live in Europe, that is going to be as easy as visiting your favorite local casino.
But if you are on the other side of the pond in the US or in Asia, finding a roulette wheel that uses the surrender rule can be difficult. Luckily for you, we here at TheSportsGeek have got you covered, as you can play surrender roulette at many of the top online casinos.
If you are looking for a place to play roulette with the surrender rule online, look no further than TheSportsGeek's online roulette page, where we bring you casino reviews of all of the best online casinos. Here you will find exclusive sign-up offers, deposit bonuses, and more, and you won't want to miss your opportunity to play roulette with the surrender rule!
Comments
Post a Comment