There is no such gambler who has never heard of baccarat. If you are one of those who want to dive deep into the game history, then keep reading this post. We will share with you some key facts about baccarat: when it was created, who the inventor was, and what this game was initially aimed at.
Historical Perspective
It is believed that the game was developed by the Italian player Felix Falguere in the late 15th century and was originally played with tarot cards. The soldiers of Charles VIII brought the game to France. There is also an opinion that baccarat emerged from blackjack in the early 19th century in France during the reign of Louis Philippe since the game has many similarities to blackjack.
Baccarat gained its modern shape during the reign of Louis Philippe. Some historians studying the history of the game went all the way back in time and connected the origin of the game with certain religious rituals of the Etruscan civilization (1500 BC). The purpose of these rituals was to identify a suitable candidate for the role of the high priestess. The priestess was chosen based on the result of a roll of a nine-sided die. If 9 or 8 points fell out – a number equal to or close to the number of worshiped gods – then the candidate was approved. Nowadays, you can play online baccarat free on many different gambling platforms and enjoy the game in full.
History of Chemin-de-Fer & En-Banque Baccarat
Although one can argue about the true origin of the game of baccarat, its structural development, and how ancient the history of the game of baccarat really is, there is no doubt that the modern features and rules of the game were obtained from the French. The game was very popular among French aristocrats in the 16th and 17th centuries and was played in private homes as well as in the royal palace. During Napoleon’s reign, baccarat was played in many illegal gambling clubs.
At the beginning of the 20th century, baccarat was the most popular game in gambling halls of the Côte d’Azur (French Riviera). At that time, there were two versions of baccarat:
- Chemin-de-Fer (French for “railroad”);
- Baccarat-en-Banque.
The main difference between the two was associated with the number of active players. When playing baccarat, Chemin-de-Fer shoes are with a player making the highest bet; he is the one who deals the cards and collects the pot; he is the banker. A player with the second-highest stake represents all other players in the game against the banker. In Baccarat-en-Banque, it is a casino that collects the bank collects, and a dealer distributes the cards. The rules for dealing cards, refusing additional cards, and possible actions of players are the same for both versions of the game.
History of American Las Vegas-Style Baccarat (Punto-Banco)
The history of baccarat in the United States began in 1911-1912 when the game appeared in several illegal casinos in the state of New York. However, after a couple of years, the game disappeared due to the fact that it was completely overshadowed by a structurally similar but much more popular blackjack. Baccarat made its second American debut in 1958-59 when it was reintroduced into the Star Dust and Sands casino range of games. This time, the game caught on and began to enjoy the increasing demand it really deserved.
American Las-Vegas Style Baccarat was played in North American casinos. In other countries, this version of baccarat is also called Punto-Banco. The rules of American baccarat do not leave the player any opportunity to interfere in the course of the game; the distribution of cards, as well as its termination, are determined solely by the well-defined rules. The game is run by a dealer, and players only receive information about winning or losing from the latter.
Tommy Renzoni claims that it was he who brought baccarat to Vegas from Cuba in 1959. He was working as a dealer in Havana at a baccarat table at a Capri casino owned by movie star George Raft when Castro staged a coup and seized power. Renzoni moved to Vegas and started working at the Sands Hotel casino. He was at work when the game of baccarat was presented at the casino. The rules of American baccarat completely coincide with the rules of baccarat that Renzoni played in Cuba. Today, in all American casinos, you can also play Mini Baccarat in addition to American-style baccarat. The rules for Mini-Baccarat are identical to those for American Baccarat. The only difference is that the game is played at a small table, which is of the same size as in blackjack.
