Baccarat Origins

Baccarat is known as the card game of the rich and famous. Baccarat was so inextricably linked with the wealthy upper classes and the rich and famous, and as a result many people shunned the game for its triumphant appearance online.

Baccarat is one of the easiest casino games to learn and play and it can really build some excitement when playing at an online casino. There is no skill involved in the game as the rules determine the action of each hand. The only variable involved is the bet. In short, Baccarat is a game of luck.

Baccarat is believed to have originated in France or Italy during the Middle Ages. The word baccarat is derived from the Italian word for zero. In the Middle Ages, the game was played with Tarot cards instead of the modern cards used today.

As Baccarat’s popularity grew throughout Europe, as with most other forms of gambling in those days, there was stern opposition from the Church. The Church viewed Baccarat as the devil’s game and those who played it were doing the devil’s work.

Tarot cards were first used in a Baccarat game by Felix Galguiere. The nine Etruscan gods are said to be the basis for Galguiere’s version of the game. In this first edition of Baccarat, dice were rolled to determine a woman’s fate as the nine gods required the sacrifice of a blonde virgin.

A roll of eight or nine made her a priestess; she a six or seven and she was prohibited from doing religious activities; a number less than six and she walked towards the sea and disappeared.

This early variant of Baccarat became the game of choice for the upper classes and aristocracy and eventually became ‘Chemin de Fer’ and European Baccarat. This is believed to have taken place in about 1500. The game, while extremely popular, was initially illegal. , as was any form of gambling. Eventually, the government legalized it and taxed it. This made the game even more popular because people could rationalize that they were doing something for the good of the poor when they played baccarat thanks to the tax involved. The game began to lose its popularity during the reign of Napoleon when it was banned again. It remained illegal until the early 1900’s. Around this time many of the big casinos were established along the French Riviera.

This version is the one that finally made it to America, but it was a different version of the game that came from England. Baccarat was legal in England during the period that it was illegal in the rest of the continent.

The English version of Baccarat reached the shores of Argentina in the early 1950s, where it was called ‘Punto y Banca’. When the game finally arrived in Havana, the object of the game had differed somewhat as the player was now playing against the house. It is this version, the American Baccarat that was played in the casinos of Havana.

The Capri Casino version is the Baccarat variant that migrated to Las Vegas in the mid-1950s via Francis Renzoni, after a Las Vegas casino opened a baccarat jackpot. The game started a new life in America as an unpopular addition to the casino game selection. Las Vegas adapted the game and made the banker the position of the UK’s casino or house. This made it possible to bet for or against the house with the banker position. This is the Baccarat variant that is now so popular in the United States, England and Australia.

Before the game of baccarat came to Las Vegas, it was already being played in New York and Florida. The game was played at the Saratoga Race Course and the Palm Beach Resort in 1910, forty years before it was played in Las Vegas.

From its origins in Europe during the Middle Ages, Baccarat has steadily made its way across all continents and has ultimately become one of the most famous and respected casino games in the world.

There are variations to the game depending on the location you play in, so it’s always best to check the house rules. And just like other forms of gambling, baccarat has made its way onto the internet. Most online casinos offer baccarat games with some variation on the house rules; the biggest thing I’ve found is that there are only two hands: the dealer and a player. Again, it is recommended to check the house rules before playing. Some online casinos also play with a single deck of cards, which is unusual for a land-based casino.