Baccarat is one of the oldest known card games and also one of the most popular all around the world. It is an easy game with simplistic gameplay that withstood the test of time and transition. Even if its origin remains unclear, written records show it existed as far back as the nineteenth century.
Etymology
The name of the game, Baccarat, came from the Italian word, “baccara,” or the French word, “baccarat,” which both means “zero” in English. All tens, jacks, kings, and queens in the game have a zero value and considered a Baccarat. Any hand that has a total value of zero, like a hand of seven and three, is also a Baccarat.
Italian or French
There have been arguments about the origin of the game because both the Italian and French word Baccarat means “zero” in the English language. The most popular version of its origin is that it was Felix Falguiere, who invented the game.
Prohibition
One of the most prominent French rulers, King Louis XIV, banned all forms of gambling, including Baccarat. It did not decrease the interest of people but had the opposite effect. Baccarat became more popular, and the French version, Chemin de Fer, became widespread.
The source of rules
The Italian game of Baccara came from an old Etruscan legend. There was a virgin who threw a nine-sided dice to determine her fate. If she threw an eight or nine, she would become a glorious priestess. A result of six or seven would allow her to live, but she can no longer join any future religious or community events. Anything lower than six would mean her banishment to the sea to drown. The tale became the source of the fundamental rules of the modern card game.
Original gameplay
The original game is unlike the modern game played today. There were four different dealers, and each player has a chance to be a banker. The players can place bets against other players and against the house, too. Today, there is only one dealer, and players can place bets against the house alone. The house also serves as the banker and cannot play like regular players.
Chemin de Fer
Baccarat moved from Italy to France, and it became known as Chemin de Fer. King Charles VIII and the noblemen surrounding him loved the game. It became popular among the French aristocrats for centuries to come.
Into the New World
Baccarat crossed the channel and reached England. Ian Fleming learned to play the game and created the famous Baccarat player, James Bond. It migrated across the ocean to South America and the Caribbean. The game changed, and players can only play against the house, not against each other.
Online casino
The game became accessible to the public with the creation of online casinos in the 1990s. Today, thousands of people enjoy playing Baccarat at online casino sites, like TS911.
