The History of Baccarat

Baccarat?the connotations evoked, simply by mentioning the name, are so exclusive and upscale, that only James Bond can truly make the scene within one's imagination seem complete! Baccarat is the most exclusive of gambling games. It is the crème de la crème of gambling. Thousands gamble for real money every year with this wonderful game, playing casino Baccarat or Internet Baccarat online.



Safely secured behind a velvet barrier, Baccarat hides tucked away in its own little corner of the casino. Lay people need not apply. This is a game set out for the high rollers?or is it?

The Fascinating History of Baccarat

As with almost all casino games in existence, it is quite difficult to pinpoint the exact inception of the gambling game of Baccarat. Both the French and the Italians claim Baccarat as their own invention. Here, the most accepted view of the origins of Baccarat will be discussed.

It is believed that Baccarat actually started out as a religious pagan ceremony. Legend tells us that this ceremony was used in order to decide on the destiny of specific young blonde virgins within a temple. The virgin engaged in a ritual to find out whether she would become a priestess in the temple. The story says that nine gods would pray to the virgin on their tiptoes while waiting for her to toss a die with nine sides. If the virgin tossed an eight or a nine, she was to become a priestess at the temple. If a seven or an eight came up, she was from there on out banned from any further religious activities. However, the real gamble in this early version of Baccarat was that if the virgin threw a six or below, her fate was to walk into the sea?to her death.

From these origins, it is believed that the game of Baccarat evolved. Baccarat, pronounced bac-car-ah, means zero in Italian. The reason for this is that most of the cards in the game have a point value of zero. The early Baccarat was actually played with tarot cards. The first official Baccarat game is attributed to an Italian gambler named, Felix Falguierein. He came up with the game in 1480. Within approximately ten years, the game was introduced to France. Baccarat also spread to other countries, and became a well played game in China.

In France, Baccarat became a game played exclusively by the French nobility. The Nobility loved entertainment, and Baccarat was quickly adopted as a beloved pastime. French Baccarat became know as Chemin de Fer. The game was quickly adopted as their own, and as their creation. The most likely assumption that can be made is that Baccarat was really created in Italy, however, when it arrived in France, new rules or game play was adopted, at which point the French decided that the entire game's creation was their masterpiece.

From Chemin de Fer to Modern Baccarat

Chemin de Fer became such an important game for the wealthy in France, that even to this day all casinos that are worth anything along the French Riviera have a Baccarat table! An important aspect of the rules of Chemin de Fer is that the players actually control the bank; each player takes turns being the banker. In order for the casino to make money, it takes a percentage out of the winnings of each game.

In time, Chemin de Fer spread north to the British Isles. In England, the game went through more molding, as the rules of the game were changed. Chemin de Fer took on a new name to go with its new face, European Baccarat. In European Baccarat, the casino takes control of the Bank. This version calls for a dealer, which is financed by the casino.

Baccarat finally came to the Americas in the 20th century. Although it was actually believed to have been introduced in the United States in the first decades of the 20th century, the American wealthy were extremely unimpressed with the game, and it quickly fizzled out. Baccarat then made a second trip to Argentina in the 1950's. There it took its respectful place in the Mar del Plata casinos, where South America's wealthy came to play.

From Mar del Plata, Baccarat moved on to Cuba, where it became known as Punto Banco. From there the French Baccarat, Chemin de Fer, went through more rule changes, and is now known as American Baccarat. These rule changes led to the players actually playing against the casino, rather than against other players.

Within a few short years, around the time of the Cuban revolution, a man named Tommy Renzoni, who was an executive at the George Raft's Capri Hotel Casino, brought the game to the casinos of Las Vegas. Baccarat caught on a little bit stronger than its first debut in the Untied States, but never became a widespread casino game. This may be due to the exclusivity of the game, which runs opposite to American culture. American Baccarat can now be found at a handful of gambling casinos on the United States.

From Casino Baccarat to Internet Baccarat

The creation of the Internet casino in the 1990s brought about a huge change in the game of Baccarat. The Internet casinos quickly changed Baccarat from a snobbish exclusive game into a fun fast-moving card game that everyone can enjoy playing. While Baccarat is still not as well known as some other Internet casino games like slot machines and blackjack, its popularity at First Web Casino is steadily rising as more and more people discover the joy of playing Baccarat on the Internet, and experts expect the trend to continue. So try out a game of Internet Baccarat at First Web and see what you think.

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