History of baccarat

Baccarat is a card game which is often associated with luxury and perfection. It is played both online and at land based casinos. This article takes a look at the history of baccarat.

Unknown origins

Like most ancient games. The origin of baccarat is vague. There are different theories about its history. But most agree that the game was started in the middle ages, a period during which it was played with tarot cards.

Italian specialists believe baccarat came from their country invented by Felix Falguirein inspired by the Etruscan ritual called 9 ritual. This ritual reunited 9 monks who with the use of a dice determined the fate of a blonde virgin. They determined if the girl was destined to become a priestess of the temple or die. Surrounded by monks who scrutinized her, she had to throw the dice if she got 8 or 9, she was ordained as priest with 6 or 7 she could not practice religious activity. Less than 6 she had to go to the sea and die. There is an element in the game that supports this Italian theory. Baccarat means zero in Italian similarly the symbols jack, queen, king and 10 counts as 0. Experts who agree with this theory declare that King Charles VIII introduced this game to France after one of his trips to Italy.

The French specialists do not agree. For them, baccarat started in France. It was a variant of the famous Chemin de Fer which also used the basis of twenty one known today as blackjack. Moreover these two games have some similarities. In baccarat you have to bet on the player’s or dealer’s hand which is closest to 9. In blackjack you must obtain a set higher than the dealer without exceeding 21. Even if they have some common elements, they also have some aspects which are totally different but one can think they originated from the same place because of their similarities.

The spread of baccarat

Although it is not known if the game originated in France or Italy but one thing is certain. It was a European game which was played by the rich. Thanks to military campaigns and invasions, it gradually travelled around the world. It was introduced in the casinos and made it accessible to the people. During the 19th century, it became really popular especially in the Riviera institutions. In the late 1950s Tommy Renzoni introduced the game to the United States Played for the first time at the dunes casino on the famous Las Vegas strip in Nevada.

Variants of baccarat

During these trips, the rules of baccarat changed gradually. Some variants were invented. The most popular in the European continent came from England; it is the closest variant to the famous Chemin de Fer. It gradually became popular with the expansion of the British Empire and it was known as European baccarat or baccarat. It was this variant that was introduced to the United States. Americans slightly changed the elements of the game and the new variant became known as American baccarat. Although these two variants differ however they have similar rules.

The emergence of baccarat

Baccarat was originally reserved for aristocrats. It still retains today traces of its glorious heritage. Indeed, the bets are often quite high. In addition, tables allocated to it are usually placed in restricted areas that are only available for customers with the correct attire. Often these requirements scare players yet this game is very simple and fun. To change this elitist image, the casinos invented mini-baccarat during the 1980s. It is similar to the classic game but it is not played in a restricted area. In addition the betting limits are lower, the table is smaller and the dealer is responsible for card distribution thus the rounds are faster and dynamic.

Online baccarat

From the mid-1990s, online casinos are available on the internet, you can play all the classic games which had success in the land based casinos thus baccarat is also available. Thanks to this new medium, it has recruited new followers who are impressed with its simplicity and the entertainment it provides.